


A Forming Plot

by harehi



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Writer Levi, ereri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-12
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2017-12-26 09:14:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 25,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/964218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harehi/pseuds/harehi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is a famous author - specialising in erotic literature. He doesn't give an ass about anything else besides his work, even to the point that he starts neglecting sleep and food to work (of course, he still manages to clean). In an attempt to direct him back on a good and healthy life, Irvin sends him a PA and manager, in the form of a mussy brown haired boy with turquoise-green eyes - Eren Jaeger.</p>
<p>//This fic unfinished and has been discontinued.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Insignificant

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you have fun reading! (ﾉ)´∀｀(ヾ)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry to say to those who are beginning this fic that it has been discontinued. I apologise sincerely for any inconveniences and to any of you who are disappointed at the news. xx

> _His lips ghosted her skin, leaving a trail of transparent kisses upon her body. She was his beauty - the only beauty he had. She was delicate, and soft, and he was bewildered that such a woman as she was his._
> 
> _Their lips met, heating the already smouldering fire between them, and her hands were at his jaw, his shoulders, pushing even closer to him. She needed him, wanted him; to signal this, she wrapped a leg around his waist._
> 
> _He groaned low in his -_

 

"You never fail to impress." Hanji says, as she grabs up random pieces of his draft, and reads a part of the paragraphs, eyes scanning over the text.

Levi snorts, typing at his computer, glasses resting on his nose. He has dark circles under his eyes, proof of his all nighter. It's his working habit - when an idea grabs ahold of him, it possesses him until he has completely finished a new novel. His fingers are furiously bashing at the keyboard, stopping occasionally to think of a most suitable word for the sentence that he is creating. "Go get me tea." is all that he says to Hanji's compliment.

"Go to sleep," The woman says, but stands anyway to leave for his kitchen. Even she knows that the way Levi works - pushing himself, devoting 95% of himself - is how he's always conducted himself. Even when he had first begun publishing his novels, he had already established his working style.

It was insane, and asinine regarding his health, but Hanji was in no place to lecture him - she got the same way with anything regarding her sciences and experiments; she lived for it, just like Levi lived for writing.

Levi's phone buzzes, and he doesn't even glance at the technology, his fingers keeping up their furious rhythm of typing, leaving his ringtone to die out.

It eventually does, and then it rings again. Levi wants to punch Hanji for setting his ringtone to some techno pop shit, claiming that 'it really calls the attention!' At the time, when she had set it, Levi had been hooked on an idea for his novel - it was his most recent one. Of a young mafia heir falling in love with a very reclusive female. It sounds very romantic and it is, before it takes a turn to the darker and the sensual. As always, it was a big hit amongst his audience. Levi admits, when he was a teenager, he hadn't pictured himself in 20 years, sitting in front of his computer, typing away to create a world of erotic literature.

And yet - here he was.

His phone rings again, and he sighs. His fingers leave the keyboard, and whenever he's disconnected from his plot line, no matter how brief the disconnection, it always feels odd and foreign.

Punching at the green button, he holds his phone up to his ear, crossing his other arm over, leaning back in to his chair, "Irvin."

"Levi, I hope you weren't - "

"What the fuck do you think, dickbag."

A sigh. "Control that mouth of yours. This is about your job."

"If it's about an interview, no matter how iconic the magazine, tv show, interviewee, _no_. I will not be interviewed. Ugh."

"Just listen. The workers that I've been sending to pick up your drafts are always reporting to me about your lack of sleep and food consumption."

"I sleep. I eat. And I clean, too."

" 'Cleaning is the only other thing he'll do besides writing.' One of my workers sent that in to the _complaint box_."

"So? I'm not sick."

" ' He'll get really sick from not eating and sleeping - what if Levi dies!' Another complaint in the complaint box. Does this not tell you that you need to start changing some things in your life?"

"I've survived my whole life being the way I am, Irvin. As if the rest of it will kill me."

"Well, as your friend and your boss, I decided to help you along the path - "

"Fuck you, no. I'm content with the way I am now."

"I hired a boy -"

"A boy? No."

"He's 22. His name is Eren Jaeger. Your new PA and manager."

"I'm not going to let a brat organise my life." Levi sighs, "Bye. I need to finish my draft. Don't call me again, and don't you dare send that Jaeger shit over."

Levi hangs up, and Hanji returns with a cup of steaming hot tea.

He doesn't say anything, and only resumes bashing at his keyboard.


	2. Eren Jaeger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi meets this Jaeger Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I wrote various versions of this, branching out to different paths that this fanfiction could go down, but I went with this one. Hope you like it! ^^

 

> _"N-No," she gripped on to his shirt and tried to pull him back, "Please," she took a shaky breath, "Please don't leave me."_
> 
> _He didn't turn to her, didn't give in to her frantic touches as she begged him to stay._
> 
> _If he stayed with her, she would suffer._
> 
> _She would have to give up everything - her career, her friends, her family, her life._
> 
> _He couldn't do that to her, no matter how strongly she felt she could do that to herself._
> 
> _He couldn't._
> 
> _And so he had to do the next most painful thing._
> 
> _Leave._

 

Levi looks up from the page of his new book, and his eyes meet with swarms of females, staring all google-eyed at him, with stars in their shining eyes.

Levi inwardly sighs. Publicity was one of the things he hated the most about being an author.

Honestly, he loved writing. It was his passion, and he had a natural affinity for it.

When he had signed his contract with Irvin, he hadn't realised just how famous the man would make him.

The said man was standing in the corner of the bookshop, his arms crossed over his chest, eyes analysing, making sure that all went well.

Levi sighs and does his best to soften his naturally irritated looking eyes as he turns his attention back to the crowd, "Thanks for listening."

 

* * *

 

After signing countless amounts of books, his wrist is hurting.

On his laptop, all that he has to do is move his fingers along the keyboard - he never really suffers from the pages and pages that he types.

But since he had signed his signature countless times, his wrist curving furiously to write out small messages to his fans, his wrist had suffered.

"Fuck you." Levi says when Irvin approaches him.

The taller man has a small curve on his lips, "Good job."

"You know I hate signings."

"You need more publicity."

"I have enough publicity." Levi's voice is filled with irritation, and his eyes are narrowing as they walk beside one another, heading out of the book shop, "My books are best-sellers."

"Your fan-base is ever growing, Levi."

"Like I don't have enough damned adoring fans."

As if on cue, a burst of squeals erupt, and Levi finds himself lifting a hand up to wave at the group of girls.

"I'm heading home." he says with a sigh. "I'm fucking tired from finally finishing that book and I need a good rest if I want a clear canvas to finally start my new one tomorrow."

"I'm sure you'll get plenty of rest." There's a hidden message underneath Irvin's tone of voice, but Levi is too tired to push it.

 

* * *

 

Odd. That's all that Levi can think when he opens the front door to his apartment.

He removes his shoes and his socked feet travel slowly down the small hallway, following the delicious smell to the kitchen.

It's an aromatic combination of onion and garlic and holy crap, it smells good. For the last three years, Levi's house has been devoid of any delicious aromas - all he does is work, sleep, eat frozen meals, work, nap, work again and then repeat.

As he nears the unused kitchen, he hears sizzling - cooking.

Holy crap, someone's cooking in his apartment.

That's definitely not Irvin, and thats' definitely not Hanji.

They're the only two people who ever come over besides Irvin's workers that only briefly visit to collect his manuscript.

They cook just as much as he does - which is never.

Slowly, Levi rounds the corner.

There, standing in his kitchen, is a tall brown haired boy, skilfully sautéing one of the frying pans on the stove.

Levi can see fluffy rice within the cooking utensil, and there's glazed onion and garlic mixed in. The rice is hinting towards a red colour, already mixed in with ketchup.

Holy shit.

This unknown male is making omurice in his kitchen.

That is _so_ fucking cliche.

But he has a nice ass, Levi muses, eyes travelling downward, where the ties of the boy's apron are loosely tied just above the flesh, clothed in fitting jeans.

Yeah, he has a _really_ nice ass.

Levi clears his throat, and watches with amusement as the boy exclaims in surprise, jumping, nearly dropping the pan from his hand. He holds on to it successfully, and turns, still gripping the handle of the utensil.

"Uh, hi." The boy says, and the concentration of his cooking is wiped from his face, instead replaced with an embarrassment and nervousness. "I'm - "

"Eren Jaeger." Levi finishes for him, finally realising the hidden tone that was honed in Irvin's voice.

"You must be Levi." Eren bows, and nearly drops the frying pan again.

He exclaims with surprise, and turns to place it back on the stove.

Huh. The brat's cute.

"I… I hope you like omurice."

"It's cliche and naive." Levi says, his arms crossed over his chest as he leans against the kitchen entrance.

Eren's face falls, "S-Sorry. I didn't know what you'd - "

"But I think I can like it." Levi smirks when Eren's face goes red.

He had initially hated the idea of Eren Jaeger.

But when the boy smiled dorkily and then turned back to his cooking, Levi eyed his ass once again.

Maybe Eren Jaeger wouldn't be so bad.


	3. Muse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their first day together, Eren suffers from a nightmare of his father.  
> There's something - a blurred meaning - behind the frightening dream, but Eren can't place his finger on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes. I had this revelation when I was writing this chapter.  
> This piece of fanfiction will probably be much more dramatic than what I had originally anticipated it to be.  
> I hope you enjoy it still! ^^

The dinner was good.

After having to waste his energy on screaming and adoring fan-girls, Levi had been tired down to the bone. All he did every other day was type, nap, type, clean, type, eat, type, sleep and then repeat.

Having been very intent on getting home and wrapping himself in his quilts, knowing he was too lazy to prepare a frozen meal, his plans had been changed when he had found Eren Jaeger in his kitchen.

After the past years of only having himself to look out for himself, Eren Jaeger was a nice change of pace.

The brat was a parallel to him - messy hair, flustered demeanour, loud, etc, etc.

He was young too, 22 years old from what their small talk conversation while eating had lead him to find out about the boy.

He lived with his two best friends - both adopted in to his family.

Armin was still in college, studying earnestly to become a qualified scientist, and Mikasa was a personal trainer, towing in the dough with the very intense and equally successful program that she ran.

Eren spoke about his two best friends with delight and pride.

"What about you?" Levi had asked, "Your friends are pursuing their dreams and going big. What are you doing, working as a measly PA and manager for me? You're still young too, so this is probably a real hindrance in your life."

"No!" Eren had exclaimed suddenly, "It's not a burden or a trouble at all! I've always looked up to you, and I've been a huge fan since when I was - " Eren had gone red, noticing the arch of Levi's brow at his outburst.

"Uh, it's just, you - you're - "

Levi smirked, "I get it, brat. Just eat."

Eren nodded slowly, still steaming, "Yes…"

* * *

 

And now, Levi is sitting at the same table they had dinner at, sighing.

Eren had cleared off the plates, insisting that Levi didn't have to help out at all.

Why had Levi ever thought that Eren Jaeger wouldn't be so bad? Because of his ass?

The brat is a natural born _housewife_ - 

"This!" Eren exclaims loudly, and he tosses yet another frozen meal from the freezer and on to the kitchen tile, "You can't live on this crap!" His expression is stern, and he's still wearing the apron - he had worn it all through when they were eating dinner, too.

That was _so_ housewifely.

"Why not, brat?" Levi challenges.

Eren's head snaps up, and his brows are creased in to a glare that Levi perceives to be more cute than stern, "Frozen meals will ruin you." he says seriously, "They'll slowly - without you noticing before it's too late - tear you down."

"I've lasted on them for three years - "

Eren blanches.

"- and I'm completely fine."

"Yeah right." The boy says, scoffing. "I'll bet that under that crisp white shirt of yours, you're not as muscular as you look."

Levi raises a brow, "I look muscular to you, Jaeger?"

There's a small blush flitting across Eren's face, "Still doesn't change the fact that you're lumpy."

"I'm not lumpy." Levi says, eyes narrowing.

"Prove it then, Lumpy Levi."

Levi scowls at the brat.

With another narrow of his eyes, he stands on his feet and lifts his shirt up slightly, only to reveal a toned abdomen, flat and muscled.

Glancing down to check that nothing has changed about his muscular form, Levi's eyes flicker upward to where Eren is standing, staring, eyes travelling down the contours of his muscled stomach.

"Well, fuck me…" Eren murmurs, and it's more of an exclamation than a command.

Levi smirks anyway, "You offering, brat?"

Eren's face goes red all the way to the tips of his ears, and the sight is endearingly adorable, what with the brat narrowing his gaze straight to his toes, looking up once every few glances, "I mean - I, it's, y-you, j-just that - eee!!" Eren Jaeger runs away, escaping to the large bin outside of his apartment to dump all the frozen meals.

Levi chuckles to himself, and sits back down on to the wooden chair, sipping at his steaming cup of tea.

Suddenly, his cell rings. _Fuck_ that techno pop shit Hanji had set as his ringtone.

With an audible sigh, Levi presses the green answer button, and holds the technology to his ear, awaiting the other line to say something.

"Thoughts on Eren Jaeger?" It's Irivn.

"He's got a nice ass."

Irvin sighs tiredly,"Levi."

"The brat's brash and naive."

"I'm sensing there's a but - "

"There is a butt. A very _fine_ butt."

"You know I didn't mean it like that."

"He'll do." Levi says nonchalantly, giving a lazy half-shrug, "I can't promise to not violate him though."

"He's a work colleague, Levi - "

"You mean _housewife_."

"… That bad?"

"That bad." Levi says, and he's smirking, "He's raiding through my food supply."

"Frozen meals aren't food."

"Holy shit, maybe you should've employed yourself as my PA and manager and evolved from Irvin Smith - giant dickbag, to Irvin Smith - gorilla housewife."

 _Click_.

"Fucking bastard." Levi sneers, dropping his cell on to the table after Irvin had hung up on him.

 

* * *

 

Later on in the night, Eren is tossing and turning in his bed, beads of sweat forming along his forehead.

He clenches his jaw, and a blurred image flashes across his nightmare.

The shine of a glasses frame, and a brush of long hair.

His dad. He's saying something, murmuring something inaudible, gripping his arms tightly.

There's a scream. His scream, it's - 

A burn, an unbearable burn, and his vision blanks.

"-ren, Eren,"

Another scream, he -

" _Eren._ "

The brown haired boy gasps, and his eyes widen as he wakes suddenly.

"Oi, brat."

He flinches away from the voice, "D-Dad?"

"Who's your dad, you shit."

The panic that had taken a hold of Eren eases away as a relieved sigh escapes from his lips, "Levi,"

"You were freaking out. You screamed in your sleep." The older man's voice has softened, and there's a hand brushing away Eren's sweaty strands of hair that have stuck to his forehead, "Ugh, filthy." he hears him mutter.

"Nightmare." Eren murmurs quietly, "Sorry for waking you."

"It's fine. I was awake anyway, working on my new novel."

"Your new novel?" Eren asks, and the excitement in his voice isn't concealed at all as his mood is suddenly improved.

Levi chuckles, and it's a deep, rich sound, causing soft flutters in Eren's heart, "Yeah. You wanna know the top-secret plot-line, brat?"

"Yeah!" Eren's forgotten about his nightmare as well as the images that had flashed through his mind of his father, and the blurred  meaning behind them.

"Well," Levi smirks, "My new novel is about a writer."

"Mm-hm," Eren's eyes are shining, excited to hear about the new novel plot-line that his favourite author is creating. Levi doesn't know it, but Eren's been a huge fan of his since his debut novel. He's read all of Levi's books, and has always admired him.

"And this writer," Levi says, "He's a traditional erotic literature novelist, and a moody piece of shit." Levi chuckles, and Eren doesn't seem to get it yet, "Then, one day, he's assigned a stupid house-keeper who's naive and brash and extremely housewifely."

Eren is frowning, "Wait a minute," he says, "That… Is that me?" He can feel the heat of his face spreading to the tips of his ears once again.

Levi stands and ruffles Eren's hair, and a smirk is masking over his lips, "Congratulations brat. You're the muse to my next novel."

 


	4. Tattoo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi finds yet another curiosity about Eren Jaeger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for posting this chapter so lately.  
> I was bedridden sick a few days ago, and it SUCKED. Moving was horrible, and my head was a total haze - it still kinda is, but I worked myself to type up this next chapter for you guys!  
> I'll probably go over this chapter again sometime soon and fix it up, but for now, enjoy!  
> Sorry for any errors and such. -.-

 

> _The housewife sat beside him, causing a fluster of her apron, "Blah, blah blah blah, BLAH. I'm Eren Jaeger. Blah, BLAH."_
> 
> _The writer, consumed by irritation from not being able to find the next muse to his new novel, sighed, and slipped his thin framed glasses from atop his nose. "Eren Jaeger," he says, and his annoyance is audible, "You're a brat, a housewife, a naive little shi -"_

 

"Hey!" Eren exclaims, frowning as he tears his eyes from the sheet of paper that he had been reading, "This is _so_ not cool, Levi."

Levi is smirking, chuckling, "What? I've only just started the novel. Give it some time."

In fact, when Levi had told Eren that he had become the muse to his next novel, he hadn't been lying. The brat was, and had been his muse. But of course, like the majority of story-line ideas for his next upcoming novels, the muse-that-was-Eren-Jaeger was a fleeting one.

Levi dabbled in many different ideas for his new novels, and had a countless number of files stored in his laptop that had been abandoned due to his fleeting imagination.

"So these past few days, you were just bullshitting me, weren't you?" Eren says, and he appears to be sulking.

It's already been two days since the brat arrived, and the two males have gotten along quite well thus far.

"Housewives aren't meant to swear, are they?"

"I'm not a housewife!" Eren is wagging the piece of paper in the air, face a form of frustration, "This isn't true, and I'm a man!"

"What, you prefer the term 'househusband'?"

"No! I'd rather something more masculine and more suited for me, like - "

"Ah. I got one -" Levi pauses drastically, "A housewife."

"Argggh!" Eren exclaims, and bangs his head on the coffee table affront of him, "You are _so_ frustrating."

Levi's phone starts ringing, and he's chuckling from Eren's ministrations when he picks up on the other line of his cell.

Irvin is on the other line, and when Levi picks up the phone, his amused chuckles can be heard.

"So I'm guessing all is well with Eren Jaeger?"

Levi rids himself of the last of his chuckles slowly, easing them from his body, "Yeah," he says, and takes a breath, "You don't need to check up on me everyday. I _am_ capable of human interaction."

"Sounds like the two of you get along just fine." Irvin states.

Levi chucks a glance back at the boy, who's rubbing his reddening forehead from the assault he had inflicted upon it when he had banged it against the table. A smirk eases its way on to Levi's mouth, "I guess."

There's something _comfortable_ about Eren Jaeger.

Levi himself knows that warming up to people within the timespan of a few days is not his thing, but somehow, Eren Jaeger has managed to make him do that. Sure, the brat is quick to flare, and he's an ultimate housewife, but he's nice company to have around.

"Have you found your new novel idea yet?"

"Still working on it."

"Maybe Eren Jaeger will have a few suggestions?"

"That brainless brat?"

"Hey!" It's Eren, and he knows they're talking about him by Levi's use of the term, 'brat'.

"Meh." Levi shrugs lazily, "I'm working on some new ones. I'll get back to you when I figure some shit out. Bye dickwad." Levi hangs up.

"Was that alright?" Eren asks hesitantly.

"Was what alright?"

"Hanging up on Irvin like that… I mean, he is your boss, right?"

"I've known the dick since junior high. He won't cry his heart out and write sad, forlorn poetry over me hanging up on him."

"Really? Since junior high?" Eren Jaeger's interest is piqued.

Levi nods.

When Eren's lips part, Levi holds a hand up, "No. I'm not answering any of your stupid questions about my teenage years."

He then takes his seat affront his laptop, and attends to the opened word document, fingers finding the keyboard and then bashing at it furiously, without hesitance.

Eren actually listens to Levi's demand, and doesn't try to ask questions due to the older man already working speedily on his laptop.

The first time he had tried distracting Levi from his typing, Eren had been hit above the head - hard -  and had been pierced with a death-glare that only Levi could narrow into. The older man had sworn and cursed at him for interrupting his writer's zone, and had beat at him multiple times afterwards.

Despite his short stature, he sure had a big hit.

 

* * *

 

Finally. He's finished with the chapter - at last, he is happy with how it's turned out.

Levi yawns uncharacteristically; he stretches his arms out, and opens his mouth wide, before he slumps back in to his typing chair, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes.

He turns his wrist over to check the time on his watch.

2:04 am.

That's just awesome.

He groans, eyes narrowed even more than naturally due to the lack of sleep that he is suffering from, as he stands.

He tilts his head from side to side, and reaches a hand up to place pressure at the back of his neck, listening to the bones crack and pop, feeling the relief of tension as it occurs.

With another yawn, he trudges out of his office, for once seeking the comfort of his bed and not his work table.

How long has it been since he's slept in his bed, wrapped up in those toasty blankets, laying on that cushiony warmth?

A shudder of pleasure traces down Levi's spine at the thought.

Just when he's about to reach his room, about to reach the bed that will cater to all his needs, he notices Eren Jaeger's bedroom door opened further down.

The boy is walking around, Levi can hear, from the footsteps that are sounding.

The older man checks his watch again.

It's late - or early, whichever way you want to think about the time, 2:08 am.

Curious, Levi walks forward, "Oi brat," he says and his voice is soft and groggy from awaking.

Ugh. He sounds horrible.

Rubbing at his throat, he makes his way to Eren's room's doorway.

"Eren, why are you up so late - " Levi speaks despite his groggy sounding voice before he pauses.

He is greeted by Eren's back, bare and surprisingly toned.

Levi's eyes travel over the flesh, the contours, and there's a husk to his next breath, a dilation of his pupils, an ignition of heat at the surprisingly alluring sight that is Eren Jaeger's back.

The boy has a nice ass, and now a nice back too, Levi muses, as his eyes travel up along the definition of the other male's skin.

Then he pauses.

On Eren's shoulder is a tattoo.

It's like an emblem, made of small pieces joined together - they look almost like blocky feathers.

They -

"Aaaahhh!!" Eren exclaims suddenly.

Levi snaps out of his trance, lets his brain recollect his thoughts and then leans lazily against the door frame, a smirk making it's way on to his lips as he watches the younger male scramble around his room before he holds a large shirt up in front of him, not-so-effectively covering himself up.

"Why are you up so late?" Levi asks nonchalantly, already having calmed himself from his moment of… _craving_.

"I was reading…" Eren murmurs and he's obviously trying to push down his embarrassment from being seen half-naked by his most respected author - even the tips of his ears are red, "Why are _you_ up so late? You should be getting heaps of sleep, Levi." He lectures suddenly.

"Don't get all housewife on me at 2 in the morning, Jaeger. I will kick your sorry ass if you do. I was working."

"How can you expect to live a healthy lifestyle if you always go to sleep this time in the morning?"

"I don't always go to sleep at this time in the morning."

"3 am and onwards count as 'this time in the morning'."

Levi narrows his eyes, "Fine. Then I always go to sleep at this time in the morning."

"You're going to sleep earlier tomorrow night."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes."

"Hm. Let's make it like this. If I sleep early tomorrow night, without staying up and working on my new novel, then you have to do something for me in exchange."

"What - that's so not fair."

"Okay. Looks like I'll be staying up the _whole night_ to work on my novel."

"Fine." Eren says after a few moments. "But, you have to promise me - you can't request anything beyond morally just boundaries."

"That's no fun, Jaeger." There's a teasing lull behind Levi's voice, bordering on playful.

"Nope." Eren Jaeger doesn't pick up on the flirtatious tone, "Don't push your luck, Levi."

The older man raises a brow, "Fine. Okay. I'll sleep early tomorrow night, and then you have to listen to one of my commands."

"Deal."

As Levi is walking back to his room, all he can think is, _I want to see that tattoo again…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, the tattoo. ^w^  
> There's a much deeper meaning to the tattoo and that will be revealed in the later chapters of the fanfiction.  
> I'm sure that all of you already know that the tattoo is actually the Wings of Freedom emblem.  
> Hopefully I was clear enough in the chapter... ^^


	5. Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren shows Levi his tattoo again... Things get a little heated *WINK WINK*.  
> Eren also shares a little bit of his parents' history with Levi, but there's something bothering the older of the two - there are some parts of Eren's story that Levi feels he's lying about, or withholding from telling him about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a little bit of... heat in this chapter.  
> (by heat, I mean sexual tension)
> 
> Also, if the quote marks/itallic writing is confusing you, lemme just clear that up.  
> They're little quotations from Levi's new novel. So, in a way, Eren kind of his the muse to his new novel - hooray!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

 

> _"What… is this?" He ran the tips of his fingers lightly, feathering at her inked skin. His eyes travelled along the design in wonder, in allure. "It's like an emblem…" he murmured softly._

 

"Okay." Levi says two mornings later, "I slept early last night. I gave you my laptop so I wouldn't secretly work, and I turned off the lights in my room as well. I get to give you one command."

"Within morally just boundaries." Eren reminds him.

Levi rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Just take your shirt off."

"That's not morally just!" Eren exclaims, going red.

Levi crosses his arms and sighs, "I only want to see the tattoo on your back."

"My tattoo?"

"Yeah. The one with the kind of block-shaped wings."

Eren frowns, and his expression becomes shaded, his shoulders tensing. "I don't think I'm very comfortable with showing it to you…"

 

 

> _"It's… I can't -" she said, and her eyes are narrowed in to conflicted orbs as she looked up at him, grasping on to his arm. "This tattoo, it's more than just ink on my skin."_

 

"Why not, brat?" The shorter of the two asks and crosses his arms. "It's good material for my new novel. There's something… compelling about it."

"Go google tattoo designs." Eren exclaims, "I'm sure you'll find one that would suit your new novel much better than mine."

"Why are you so set on me not seeing your ink?"

"It's not you specifically that I have a problem with seeing it. Just - it's people in general that I have a problem with seeing it. It's what I have left of my dad, before he passed."

Levi pauses only slightly as he realises that he's breached into a touchy subject,"What you have left of him?"

"Yeah. He studied at an art college in France for a year before he devoted his life to his run-down bookshop."

"I don't need his life story."

"I can easily deny you any permission to see my tattoo."

"Fine. Life story it is."

"I just want you to understand the importance that the tattoo is. If you're going to be using it in your next novel, you need to know the importance of the emblem that you're describing."

"I'll memorise this day."

"Huh?"

"The day that Eren Jaeger had a way with words - keep this up and you might be able to become a novelist too." Levi teases.

He chuckles at Eren's pouting glare.

"Go on with your story, brat."

 

> _"It's the only thing I have left of my family," she said softly, her voice barely audible. Her words sounded rough, as if the remembrance of the tattoo and it's meaning was painful for her._

 

"My dad met my mom in France." Eren started, "She wasn't an art student at his college, and she wasn't really a student anywhere, actually. Her family had been head-deep in debt to lesser than nice people. She had been abandoned by her family and had been left the responsibility of appeasing their debt-collectors with what little money and inexperience of life that she had."

"Could I go grab some tea? The water's already boiled, right?"

"I'll grab it for you. Black again?"

"Yeah."

Levi follows Eren in to the kitchen, and sits at the stools that are situated at the counter-top of the wooden bench.

"My dad was her saving grace." Eren continues, and there's a ghost of a smile upon his lips, "He was pretty hooked up with connections; his parents were rich, and so were their friends. His ties to them broke when he chose to elope with my mom and ran from Paris, skipping out on his last few weeks of art school. Apparently my grandparents, despite their objections to my dad being an artist when he was younger, had been enraged with his elopement. They left his bank account as it was, and no longer deposited any money towards him. Of course, his account was already dry from helping out my mom with her debts.

"They were broke. Eventually, they settled down in a dingy apartment flat with cheap rent, and sought out jobs for themselves. Mom became a baker, and Dad found his place at an elderly bookshop. Weeks in to their new life, they were found out by the debt-collectors that Mom had thought she had escaped from. Despite the debt already being paid off, Mom and Dad had the money they had made from their new lives snuffed out and forcibly taken from them. During that time, Mom was already pregnant with me. I was born a few months later, in a run-down hospital with not so state of the art facilities."

"Shit, this is some pretty deep background."

"Sorry. I know you didn't want life story."

"No, it's fine. Keep going."

Eren gave an apologetic and grateful smile, and Levi couldn't help but return one of his own understanding ones.

"Well, this is where the story gets kind of hazy." Eren says sheepishly, and there's a sort of hesitance to his words, like he's - Levi doesn't want to think it - lying, "When I was five, my parents weren't doing so well. The debt collectors were demanding more payment, and had my parents so tangled up in their web of underground criminality that there was practically no escape - they forced Dad in to some sort of ring so as to keep him chained to them and unable to run amuck. It was around my sixth birthday that Dad found a new side-job: a Chemistry teacher at the town's community high school. He was pretty smart from college - before he went off to art school, he studied Sciences at a high-end university that his parents had sent him to, in the hopes of their son becoming a successful scientist.

"Dad became the Chemistry teacher, and he was free to use the laboratory facilities as he wished. With the lab and all the chemicals that he was allowed access to, he found a way to earn money… He was desperate." Eren's expression darkens.

Levi's fingers twitch, and he reaches a hand out to pat Eren's head.

 

> _"During those times, my dad, he - " she paused, and took a deep breath, "He wasn't really the man I knew him to be from when I had grown up." Her expression darkened, and her hands gripped one another tightly, "He betrayed us, my siblings and me." The look he gave her then was one of pure suffering, the memory that played through his mind being a vivid one._

 

"You can stop there if you'd like. No one's pushing you." Levi stands from the counter-top stool and makes his way on to the couch. He's about to grab up the TV remote and flick through the various channels that are on, but Eren plops down beside him.

The boy has already slipped out of his dark aura, and Eren gives a soft lopsided half smile, "Long story short, he engaged in even more illegalities, broke some laws, tried to convince the police that the real criminals were those stupid debt-collectors, failed and then tried to run away. He… He killed himself by running his car off a bridge. Mom was with him at the time." Eren's voice reaches a sudden peak, and the boy pauses, knuckles going white from his enclosed fists.

Levi reaches out and squeezes Eren's hands, feeling the tight fists slowly ease away some of the tension before Eren is breathing out a long sigh.

"I met Mikasa at the orphanage my parents left me at to try and give me a better life away from theirs. I had the tattoo by then - I think Dad inked it on me when I was younger; I can't remember how I got it." Eren shrugs too nonchalantly and the tick that he's lying is bothering Levi once again, "But meeting Mikasa changed my life. She was pretty run-down too when we were kids - more than me, and so I had to be the bigger person and guide her. We met Armin there too, and he quickly joined with us."

Levi can't help but let a warm expression ease on to his face; Eren, so dark and dejected before, was now grinning and laughing as he recalled all the best memories he had with his two best friends. Levi made a note to himself to personally thank both Mikasa and Armin for being with Eren in his weakest moments.

 

> _"You don't have to worry about anything bad anymore." He told her softly and he placed his hand over hers, "I'll be here to ease the pain. You don't need to tell me any more of your story. It pains you, and that pains me." He brushed away the wild strands of her hair that had shaded over her eyes before he rounded his arms around her and embraced her tightly._

 

Eren pauses from telling Levi the story about the time when Jean had tried to coolly hit on Mikasa but had ended up tripping over his own shoelaces and had landed on the new kid Marco, effectively locking their lips together and also effectively kissing him. Eren had sniggered at the boy days and days afterward, until now, and forever more.

"What?" Eren asks Levi, eyes travelling over the warm expression on his face.

"What do you mean, what?"

"You've got a really nice expression on right now, Levi." Eren grins.

There's much more to Eren Jaeger than a nice ass, a nice back, a tattoo and being a housewife. There's so much more about the boy that Levi doesn't know. He seems to have a troubled past - but Levi knows he can handle it, what with his own fucked up life history. There's an allure to Eren, a light that seems to just glow and aspire, a light that Levi finds he wants to burn and smoulder with, to follow. Sure the boy is an idiot, and following him would probably bring him to either the grocery store or to the ends of his patience, but somehow, he doesn't seem to mind it.

Levi is caught up with the sudden surge of emotion that is encouraged by the younger boy's bright smile. His eyes travel along the arc of his pink lips, and suddenly, he's leaning forward, feeling his weight moving toward the boy slowly, eyeing the pair of lips before him with narrowed eyes as something begins to brew within him, and his heartbeat picks up unceremoniously fast.

His eyes flicker upward to meet wide turquoise-green ones, and he sees a sudden spark of realisation ignite in Eren's beautiful orbs at what the other male is about to do.

 _Too late to pull back,_ is Levi's only thought when their lips brush against one another, and then he's kissing the kid firmly, yet softly.

Eren is frozen, and Levi's lips twitch in to a smirk.

He moves his lips slowly against Eren's, and suddenly, a hand is softly touching at this jaw, hesitantly, nervously.

Levi cracks open an eye, and finds Eren's wide open in front of him. Very quickly, the younger boy's turquoise-green orbs shut tightly, and he accidentally bites on Levi's bottom lip before the older of the two can even attempt to slip his tongue in to Eren's mouth.

"S-S-Sorry!" Eren exclaims, and he's flushed down to his neck.

Levi rubs at his lip, and lets his tongue lick over the minuscule wound, "Goddammit," he curses, "Good job Eren." There is an obvious tone of sarcasm laced in to his voice.

"I'm really, really, really sorry, Levi!"

"Well, if you're really sorry," Levi says, and there's a mischievous lull to his voice, "There is a way to heal it."

"What? What is it? I'll quickly do it for you."

"Lick it."

"… Eh?"

"It's what a lot of animals do to help with healing. Cats, dogs, monkeys and even mice do it. Saliva is said to have certain bacteria to help with the healing of wounds. So c'mon."

"Why can't you lick it yourself? It's your lip!" Eren exclaims.

Levi rolls his eyes and nearly lets a smirk slip, nearly revealing his cheekiness - of course he can probably lick the small cut himself, but having Eren do it is much better, "Because, only someone else's saliva will work." he says, even though it's a lie, "My own saliva won't work on my own wounded lip."

Eren's brows furrow, and he looks like he's contemplating the licking of Levi's lips.

"I could have finished my new novel by the time you'd have finished thinking, Jaeger." Levi teases, and leans back.

"Sh-Shut up!" Eren exclaims, "Just… Just close your eyes, okay? And th-this is the only time I'm doing this sort of thing!"

"Uh-huh."

"Close your eyes," Eren says, and Levi sighs before he does.

All he can hear is the ruffle of Eren as the boy moves closer, and slightly atop him. Levi _is_ leaned back on to the couch. Gentle fingers touch at his jaw, and his face is lifted slightly upward. He can feel Eren moving very slowly closer, can feel the heat of his body slowly approaching.

His fingers twitch, wanting to just grab him and bring him closer immediately, to roughly pull Eren against him, and kiss him until he sees stars - until they both see stars. Eren is lingering right before him, and Levi can sense the inner battle of turmoil that is ongoing within the younger boy's mind.

Levi sighs, and cracks open his eyes suddenly.

Eren, shock and embarrassment registering on his face, quickly goes to pull away - but Levi reacts much faster.

His hands reach out, and grab at Eren's wrists, effectively pulling him forward. At the same time, he cranes his head upward and towards Eren, until their lips meet roughly.

A surprised sound escapes Eren's lips and is muffled by Levi's as the older man doesn't waste any time with Eren in his arms.

Slowly leaning his head back on to the couch, and pulling Eren with him, their lips begin moving hard against one another - Eren still a bit hesitant.

Levi licks at the boy's bottom lip, and his hands run down his sides. When Eren gasps, Levi slips his tongue in to the slightly parted lips; a soft whimper makes it's way from Eren's throat, and Levi only pulls the younger boy closer on to him.

His tongue explores around Eren's mouth, and drags a lick across the other boy's tongue. Eren's fingers, that had been gripping on to the head of the couch, find their way to Levi's hair, messing up the tame strands of silky black.

Levi smirks as he realises that Eren's last strains of hesitance have disappeared.

His hand slips upward, trailing underneath Eren's pajama top, and then resting his fingers on his hip, slowly caressing the flesh there.

Eren gives a soft breath from his touch, and Levi knows that things are heating up fairly quickly.

He pulls away from Eren's lips and parts his mouth to voice that they should stop now before things go any further, but one glance at Eren's smouldering turquoise-green eyes and the flush that has made its way on to his cheeks has Levi dipping forward in to Eren's neck, and raking his teeth over the sensitive flesh that is there - Eren moans softly at the action, and Levi feels a tightening of his pants. Shit.

His hands travel further up Eren's sides, thumbs brushing over his abdomen and fingers teasing up his back. Levi licks at the boy's jaw, and nips at his neck again. Eren's breathing is becoming more ragged, and the only thing that is going through Levi hazing mind is, a chant of 'more' and 'Eren'.

"I - " Eren pauses, and a shaky breath escapes his lips as Levi presses a soft kiss to his collarbone, "The tattoo, y-you wanted to see it, r-right?" Another shaky breath parts from his lips.

Levi's eyes flicker upward and meet with Eren's - a spark of lust obvious in his lidded eyes.

The brat is daring, Levi realises, as his fingers play with the edge of Eren's shirt.

Slowly, almost as if he's savouring the moment, Levi pulls the material upward. Eren raises his arms, and Levi can't help but to think that it's possibly one of the most sexiest things he's seen, as the shirt slowly raises, even more slowly revealing a toned stomach, perk nipples, a delicious collarbone, strong shoulder blades and then beautiful eyes.

Holy shit.

 _Holy shit_.

"Turn around," Levi demands, and Eren does.

Levi's eyes immediately find the tattoo. It's an intricate design, of two wings nearly a parallel to one another. The left set is inked in a rich, royal blue, and the other a fine, polished silver. The design is gorgeous, plated on a backgrounded shield, inked on in a nearly transparent gleam of white.

Levi's fingers trace over the design, committing it to memory. There's something about the emblem that ticks at his mind, something familiar. Before he can uncover the familiarity that it produces, Eren shifts uncomfortably.

Levi's eyes flicker upward momentarily, before he leans forward and places soft, slow kisses to the ink that is upon Eren's back, licking up the lines of the design, and kissing around the emblem.

Eren shivers, and Levi's hands find their way to Eren's bare skin, skimming his fingers over the boy's nipples and his abdomen.

His lips gently kiss at the back of the boy's neck -

Then Levi's phone trills loudly, blaring the stupid and fucking useless piece of shit ringtone that is the techno piece of crap that Hanji had installed as his call tone.

Eren flinches at the sudden sound.

"Ignore it." Levi says, and continues his slow ministrations.

The ring dies out, and Levi licks up Eren's shoulder.

The phone blares again.

"Levi, it's - what if it's important." Eren says, and there's a hitch in his breath when Levi's fingers pinch at his nipples, twisting the buds.

"Just ignore it. It'll stop."

But it doesn't. It rings three more times before Levi growls, and roughly stands from the couch. He flips his phone open harshly, so harsh it's a surprise that the phone didn't break, before, " _What the fuck do you want, Hanji?_ "

"Bad time?" She asks, and the way she always sounds perky and cheery annoys Levi down to his very bones in this instant.

Levi growls.

"Oh Levi," she says, "There's so much patience waiting for you - you just need to learn to embrace it."

"Fuck you."

"I heard that you have a new room mate?" She sounds excited now.

"Go tell Irvin that he's a glorious dickbag."

"Okay."

"And then go look in a mirror and tell the piece of turd that you see that she too is a glorious dickbag."

"Will do, Levi. I'm coming over to meet this new guy."

Levi sighs, "Now's not a good time." he spares a glance over to Eren, and is reminded of his arousal by the tightening of his jeans.

"I'm already on my way. I'll be there in 20 minutes. I'll see you very soon, Levi!" She trills his name in a fantastically hight note before hanging up.

"Tch." Levi slams his cell back on to the counter, and stalks over to Eren once again.

He leans down and presses their lips together softly, and some of the irritation seeps out from his shoulders, "We'll do this another day, Jaeger." he says, "An annoying piece of shit decided to invite herself over in 20 minutes, so you should get ready and clean up by then."

"O-Okay." Eren replies.

Levi's eyes take one last travel up Eren's gorgeous body, before he ruffles the boy's wild hair.

 _Another day_ , he tells himself, attempting to calm the dominance, possessiveness and arousal that is surging through his body from the entity that is Eren Jaeger.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I re-organised the plotline for this fanfiction, and I think I've got it fairly under control.  
> I'm really bad at planning plots and things like that, so I kind of just write and go with the feeling.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> ehehe, and the little heat that's starting to boil between Eren and Levi!
> 
> Thanks for reading! It means a lot to me! ^^


	6. Fluster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanji pays her visit and Levi tries to solve whatever the hell it is that's going on between Eren and himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for updating so late. I have all these school assignments nagging at me. -.-  
> I'll try and make the next update faster, but I still need to update my other fan fiction, 'Eventually'.  
> Sorry for making you wait, and I hope you have fun reading! :)

Levi sighs, slowly buttoning up his white shirt. After a shower of ice-cold water, his lust has died down and dissolved - for now.

He's reflecting on his actions, of how he's taking things so quickly with Eren - the making out, the touching, the fondling, the soft butterfly kisses - it's uncharacteristic of him.

Levi doesn't involve himself with people - when he does, it takes longer than the general timespan of a week to even warm up to the person, but somehow, Eren Jaeger is already someone that Levi is fond of. And by fond, Levi means like. And by like, Levi means _like_ like - or so he thinks.

He's an erotic literature novelist. He writes about daring romances and forbidden fruit shit, and that usually entails soft, heartfelt moments of love - but _he_ isn't the expert on love shit, his writing is. Somehow, he always chooses the right words to depict the emotion. That's not real life at all for him. In real life, he's grumpy, selective, irritable and moody - he hasn't made love to anyone in nearly ten years - maybe more. Even at the time, he wasn't so sure that the act he was committing to was love at all.

What was love, anyway?

Levi ruffles his wet hair, and then attempts to shake off some of the liquid droplets that are weaved through.

"What am I thinking about anyway," he mutters. Love? He's known the brat for a week, and he's already asking himself the big and life-challenging questions.

Their… moment of heated up lust, it was sudden and self-consuming. It was addictive, and amazing.

It was also fast-paced and speeding quickly.

Jumping from 10 years of being dry and uninvolved with anyone to involving himself with a gorgeous, young male - and a co-worker at that - is…

It's just - it's not Levi's style, to be so quick about it, to be so quick about anything - the exception being typing.

It's ticking away at his mind, the reason as to why he had become so consumed in the moment to not realise that he hardly knew the brat. 

Maybe it was his repressed sexual frustrations finally speaking up, and enforcing him to take action and appease his inner desires via Eren Jaeger. The brat _had_ been living under his roof these past few days, and there's not much to dislike about the boy - surprisingly, considering how naive and stubborn he is.

He's been walking around with his fine ass, with droplets from his showering still dripping, running down the nape of his neck and in to the neckline of his shirt. He's been cooking delicious meals, laughing at the most stupidest things with his adorable laugh that hits only a few notes higher than his usual speaking melody and grinning, glowing like the sun as he flashes Levi such an infectious happy expression.

Such an innocent and cute expression, as Levi has learnt, can also be teasing and daring and can even look _pleasured_ and in bliss.Levi's eyes become lidded at the remembrance of Eren's seductive expression, and unconsciously, Levi husks, his hand crumpling the white material of the shirt in his hands.

"Crap, crap, stop," he mutters to himself as he feels the ignition of his lust start up again. He had just taken a cold shower to calm his lust, and yet here it is again, turning on him after all the years it's been caged and held captive, strained from being released.

Levi runs a hand through his hair, and then sighs.

A knock sounds at the front door, and Levi slowly walks out of his room to go answer and greet Hanji with a glare intense enough to kill her and a mouth full of profanities.

He sees Eren making his way to the front door instead.

"Eren," Levi calls.

The boy turns his turquoise-green eyes to him, and there's a light blush on his cheeks, his eyes flickering away immediately after meeting Levi's narrow ones, "Y-Yes?"

Levi's fingers tighten on his arm, crossed over the other, forcing down starting feelings of possession that are ticking at him once he realises that Eren's nervous and embarrassed about their former ministrations. Levi forces down the urge to grab the other male and kiss him, to just run his fingers over the boy's flesh, "I'll get the door. You hide and then run away when you get the chance."

"W-Wha...?" Eren looks up, and Levi can't help but admire the uniquely coloured tone of his eyes.

"Just -" Levi sighs, "Hanji's insane."

Eren blinks.

* * *

 

Levi is watching Eren from where he's seated at the kitchen counter. The brat is standing in the kitchen, walking around the space while making tea and coffee; the tea being for Levi and the coffee being for Hanji.

The female, her messy brown hair tied up in to a ponytail is cooing at Eren, following him around the small kitchen, effectively cluttering up the already limited space. Despite that, she's talking to him and asking him questions as if she isn't a bother at all.

All the while, Levi has been watching the two - mainly Eren.

The messy brown haired male dunks the teabag softly three times in to the tea cup before walking to Levi, and holding it out. He's still embarrassed from their former ministrations; Levi can tell from Eren's gaze suddenly focusing intently at his shoelaces.

Levi takes a slow breath, a smirk playing at his lips. The kid is such a virgin - it's fucking adorable.

"Jaeger," Levi says.

Eren's head jolts upward, and their gazes meet, "Y-Yeah?" His blush obviously darkens.

Satisfied with their meeting of eyes, Levi reaches out and takes his teacup. Usually, he grips the glass cup by the top, placing his fingers along the edge. This time though, as he is so infatuated with Eren's reactions, he takes the cup slowly, by the handle, brushing his own fingers over Eren's, "Thanks for the tea." There's a lull of amusement beneath Levi's words.

Eren is obviously blushing,  and Levi is regarding him fondly with a certain warmth, as the brat struggles with his embarrassment.

Then suddenly, ruining the moment, there's a giggle from the kitchen.

Way to fucking go, Hanji, Levi thinks before he sighs and looks up towardt the female, "Could you not, you idiot?"

She only gives Levi a very sly, cheeky smile, "Oh Levi, you." she waves her hand at him, "Already making the moves so soon, you sly dog."

Levi sighs again and decides to ignore her stupidity.  He turns back to Eren -

Holy crap, that's cute.

Even the tips of his ears are red.

Levi's fingers itch.

It's a different type of itch from when he needs to type, because right now? He couldn't care less about typing - all he wants to do is reach out and touch Eren, to run his fingers through the brat's messy brown hair.

But he can't. Because Hanji is standing in his kitchen, eyes gleaming at the sight of the both of them.

Levi turns sharply toward the woman, his face wielding a glare of intensity.

She's always been so disruptive, diving in head first without mulling over the consequences. Despite others, she did what she wanted to do - that was one of the reasons why Levi had recruited her as a friend in the first place. Hanji was a weirdo. Like Irvin. Like Levi himself. They were intricacies to the modern society and the general populace.

Despite Levi's death-inducing glare, Hanji only giggles, "I came at a really bad time, didn't I?"

Levi only raises a brow at her, keeping the glare and deadpan expression pasted on his face, effectively communicating the message 'What the fuck do you think?'

But Hanji only giggles and unfortunately says, "But I guess you guys did too." She guffaws away after making the horridly sexual joke, and escapes in to the hallway, skipping, exuding a state of fucking _flowery_.

Levi is distracted from the conjuring of plans to kill the female by Eren's embarrassment.

"Oh my god," Eren mutters, covering his face with both his hands - now both the tips of his ears and even down his neck are red.

"I told you she was insane."

Eren parts two of his fingers, and peeks through them at the novelist before him.

"That - how, sh-she - " The gap is closed in-between his fingers once again and Levi can no longer see the features upon Eren's face.

How the brat is so effortlessly induced to a blushing mess makes him an easy and fun target to tease and taunt.

Levi smirks, "Oi, brat. Come closer."

Eren peeks unsurely at Levi before slowly waddling the two steps that is required of him to be standing right in front of the other man.

"Hands down, Jaeger." Levi says and is regarding the boy with an amused expression.

Eren slowly complies, and the red that is scattered all along his skin is the most precious thing ever.

Eren is standing, twiddling his fingers nervously, not looking up at Levi.

The older man reaches a hand out and pulls Eren to him. He parts his own legs, each knee lined up with Eren's hip bones so as to allow the brat closer, before he leans forward and places a kiss on Eren's cheek, quite simply, quite suddenly.

There - there it is. Levi is - once again - being affectionate toward the younger male, awarding the brat with soft kisses and caresses.

He slips his hands onto Eren's waist, and slowly presses his lips along Eren's skin in the form of butterfly kisses as he makes his way to Eren's lips slowly, softly.

Soon, they're kissing once again. It's a slow, comfortable sort of kiss, and the tension that has built up in Levi's back and shoulders from endless hours of typing seems to seep away temporarily.

Levi cracks an eye open to look at Eren, and is pleased to find that the brat's eyes are closed, savouring the moment of their slow and sweet kiss - which is then disturbed as Levi catches movement at the entrance of the hallway.

Hanji.

What a shithead.

She has her camera phone out, and she's… oh my god, she's taking _photos_.

But Levi is now at a crossroads. He should stop kissing Eren, what with Hanji snapping photos of them - but he really doesn't want to. He doesn't want to stop kissing Eren.

Distracted by his crossroads decision, Eren's and his teeth clang together.

Eren pulls back, "Ow,"

"Sorry," Levi says, and places a last kiss on Eren's lips, "I was distracted - by that."

Levi nods his head towards Hanji's direction.

Eren turns around to look back, and, as expected, goes red as a tomato once again, which Levi perceives is becoming as per the usual with Eren Jaeger.

"Wh-What are you d-doing?" Eren exclaims.

Hanji laughs, "Smile, Eren!"

Eren makes a squeaking sort of sound before turning away from the camera very quickly.

Hanji only skips towards him, still taking photos, "Come on Eren, no need to be shy!"

Levi snorts - she sure is having the time of her life. Levi smirks as he watches Eren turn around, Hanji following him with her camera. It's insufferably cute how Eren becomes so flustered so easily.

Eventually, Eren makes a noise of frustration and dives straight into Levi, burying his face in to the older man's chest, effectively hiding away from the flashing technology.

Levi catches Eren in his arms, and is seemingly surprised for a few moments.

He looks up at Hanji.

She's grinning as she pockets her cell phone. She grabs up her bag and swabs a piece of fruit from the dining table before she makes her way to the front door, "Bye Levi, good luck on your next novel; don't forget to email me what you already have! Bye Eren, my dear, I'll be back! Tood-a-loo!"

With Eren still in his arms, Levi hears the front door opening and then shutting afterwards.

He waits a few spare seconds before he says, "Oi. She's gone. The coast is clear."

Eren slowly peeks out from Levi's chest, checking to see if Hanji really has left for real. He looks around, glances behind, and then looks to both sides one last time before breathing out in relief. He looks up at Levi, is slumped against him, "Sorry about jumping on you…."

Then quickly realising the intimacy of their positions, Eren goes to pull away, but Levi's fingers are already caressing at his jaw.

He tilts Eren's face up slowly and kisses the boy leisurely.

Slowly, Eren parts his lips for Levi's tongue, and then they're both tasting one another, savouring one another. Still kissing, Eren straightens himself up from being slumped against the older man. Pressed against him, Eren moans softly when Levi's hands find his waist. Their tongues are intertwining, playing with one another, occasionally teasing.

After a good session of making out, Levi forces himself to pull away softly.

Eren opens his closed eyes, and they're lidded, the boy's breath ragged and uneven.

Levi pushes his lust and locks the door on it to keep it from coming in.

He had given in to it again - the sudden consumption of attraction mixed with affection and lust.

He needs to learn to not touchEren so easily if they're going to peacefully live with one another.

Levi lays a soft kiss on Eren's lips, unable to help himself to one last time before he says, "Listen, brat." His fingers are still on Eren's waist, subconsciously caressing at Eren's hip, "This thing that's going on between us - all the kissing and shit, what is it to you?"

Levi is oddly nervous in anticipation of Eren's answering words.

"Th-That," Eren starts, "Um, I d-don't know," Eren squirms.

Levi notices Eren's discomfort and purses his lips, "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"N-No, just, your fingers are on my hips…" Eren murmurs quietly, looking both embarrassed and very opaquely pleased.

"Sorry." Levi removes his hands from Eren's skin. He crosses his arms and awaits Eren's answer to his first question.

The boy only fiddles with his fingers, looking down and then occasionally glancing upward to meet Levi's naturally narrowed eyes; he's obviously troubled about what he's meant to say, what he should say or what he wants to say.

Eventually, after having waited through a timely few moments for Eren's answer, Levi sighs and straightens his slumped back slightly, "Well, I'm not sure myself of what this is, so I guess asking you really isn't fair at all. First and foremost, this is not love."

There's a disheartening showing up on Eren's face, and Levi pushes down the urge to kiss him and try to cheer him up - Levi _sucks_ at cheering people up; sympathising, comforting, etc. (If Eren had a say in Levi's skills of cheering people up, he would highly recommend him - when he had been travelling through the darker parts of his memories, Levi had shown him comfort as Eren had told him the story of his parents).

 _Not that I couldn't not like you in that way_ , Levi thinks to himself before saying, "Secondly, I don't know about you, but I am pent up over my head with sexual frustrations. Not gonna lie, brat, you're fucking gorgeous - "

Eren goes red, steam puffing from every pore of his face and out his ears. It astounds Eren that Levi can say such things with a straight, almost irritable looking expression - already though, Eren is slowly becoming used to Levi's expressions, and how minimalised they are sometimes.

"So me wanting to do you isn't really a surprise. Thirdly, this really doesn't fucking finalise anything or uncover whatever the hell this is between the both of us, doesn't it?" A sigh, "But I guess," Levi smirks, "That it's not so bad. As long as Irvin doesn't find out, we're safe, brat."

"E-Eh?"

Levi chuckles before turning away from Eren on his stool, and taking a sip of his tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> I'm sorry if this chapter was rather... Mundane. I'll try and bring more of the conflict of the plot in to the next one - the one that has to do with Eren's tattoo.
> 
> Thank you, my wonderful readers, for all the support! ^^


	7. Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi calls Mikasa.  
> They talk about Eren and the gang group that pushed his father to commit suicide: the Titans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here guys, here's an update! :)  
> Urgh, I've been feeling so under the weather lately. -.-  
> Sorry if the next chapter takes longer, I'm behind on my school assignments because of my sickness so I need to catch up fast! ^^

Levi frowns, hearing Eren's voice whispering hushed words before raising suddenly, and then lowering once again. It's mysterious, suspicious; slowly, Levi gets up from his desk and walks quietly - yes, he's sneaking, but he's also walking quietly - to where Eren is in the lounge.

"- they were really there?" The boy whispers, and there's a worried frown embedded in to his face, "Looking for me?" A pause, and then he exhales a fast breath, "Crap, sorry Mikasa. Is Armin okay? Are you?" Another pause, and the brat is biting his thumbnail, his leg bouncing up and down in anticipation of Mikasa's words. He sighs, and some of the tension from his frown eases away, "Good, thank God. Sorry. I'm sorry. I'll - I'll make sure to handle it." A pause, and the frown is back, "Listen Mikasa," his voice raises and his shoulders tense up at the realisation of his volume before lowering his voice, "This is my problem, and I don't want you or Armin getting hurt - " Eren was cut off by Mikasa, when he stops and his eyes narrow, listening. After she has said whatever she has said, Eren is talking once again, "Mikasa," he says, "I'm bound to get hurt, and that doesn't really worry me. But if you guys got hurt because of me, because of  _my_ problems, that'd kill me. Listen, I gotta go. I need to make lunch. We'll talk about this later, okay?" Eren pauses, "Yeah. I love you too. Bye." There's a small smile on his lips, a lightening to the former intensity of his demeanour.

Eren turns around to the kitchen, and makes his way there after pocketing his cell phone.

Levi is still in the hallway after listening to Eren's phone conversation with Mikasa.

Eren had told him about Mikasa once - she was a personal trainer and alongside Armin, she had helped Eren to overcome his parent's tragic story. She was someone very important to him; the trio of them were practically siblings to one another, Eren had once said with a grin.

Levi makes sure to be quiet as he goes back in to his room, his head trying to spark a plan so as to figure out what the hell Eren and Mikasa's conversation was all about. What was Eren dealing with right now? It was obviously something important, and something that could hurt him. Levi's hand clenched in to a fist at the thought of that, and he was reaching for his cellphone, unconsciously having already formed a plan in his head of what he was going to do next in order to find out the brat's problems and then help him.

He called Irvin.

"You don't usually call me." Was Irvin's greeting when he picked up on the other end.

Levi snorted, "I didn't want to either. I'm calling in a favour."

"A favour?" Irvin sounds intrigued.

"After all the years of bringing your shabby publishing company fame, you fucking owe it to me."

A sigh, "Go on."

"Eren Jaeger - "

"I'm not supplying you with lube and condoms."

"Did you really think - like, really fucking think - that I was going to fucking ask you to give me fucking lube and fucking condoms, you fucking dickbag?"

"Yes."

"I will fuck you up."

"The lube and condoms were meant for us?" Irvin asks, and he snorts, trying to hold in the chuckles that are attempting to slip from his lips.

"I will end you."

Irvin exhales a breath, and there's a loose laugh tied to it before he says, "Anyway, that favour?"

Levi sighs. He had nearly forgotten how much of a royal asshole Irvin is and how much of a hassle he is to talk to.

"Eren has a friend, first name Mikasa."

"Ah yes, Mikasa Ackerman."

"You know her?"

"She's a personal trainer at the gym that I go to."

"Huh." Levi says, and he's glad for the coincidence. "Give me her number."

"Why?"

"I've done things for you without questions or complaints before. Time for you to return the favour."

There's a pause on the other side of the line as Irvin is contemplating the events that giving Mikasa's number could lead do.

Levi doesn't blame him for his analysations. Irvin's a very successful man and is also quite famous what with his publishing company and all of the award-winning novelists and mangakas and magazines that they produce for. He has to be careful with what he does sometimes.

"I'll text it to you." Irvin says after a few seconds of mulling his thoughts over.

"Thanks dickbag." Levi says before hanging up.

Then he sits and awaits patiently, staring at his phone, until it finally beeps with a text message from Irvin. There are only a series of digits, Mikasa's cellphone number, and Levi doesn't wait to press on it and call her.

The phone rings 5 times, and Levi is sure that she won't pick up before there's a click and the ringing stops.

"Hello?" She sounds out of breath.

"Sorry, are you in the middle of a session?"

"No, just working out, but that's okay."

"Right. You're Mikasa Ackerman?"

"Yes, are you calling about personal training sessions?"

"Not exactly," Levi says, "I'm calling about Eren Jaeger."

There's a pause, and Levi can feel - through the fucking phone - the tense mood of aura that she is now wielding, "Who are you?" Her voice has dropped a level to sound tense and threatening and Levi suspects that her tone of voice has something to do with her phone conversation with Eren just before.

"Levi."

"Levi?" There's a pause, "Ah, the novelist, the one that Eren's working for right now." She clears her throat, almost as an apology for sounding so threatening and dangerous. Levi wasn't affected by it though, and only brushes it off.

"That's me." 

"So why are you calling me? Is he… Is he okay?" Worry is evident in her voice.

"He's perfectly fine. I heard Eren talking to you on the phone earlier."

"Eavesdropping, were we?"

"It was hard to miss in a quiet house. He was hushing and then raising his voice, and alternating between the two. It was very suspicious."

Mikasa is quiet a few seconds, "So why are you calling me about this? Why not talk to Eren about whatever you're curious about."

"I had a hunch that he wouldn't exactly tell me what's going on; he seems irritated that even  _you_  were involved in his problems."

"They're not his problems." Mikasa says with a tense voice.

"Then whose are they?"

"His parents."

"Ah." Levi says. Then it clicks. The people that were after him - it was the gang, the one that had been chasing after his father. "He's told me about their story."

"He told you about their past? What happened with, with his - "

"Father? Yes. The gangs and the drugs."

There's a pause in their conversation.

"Why are you calling me, then? Shouldn't you be going to Eren?"

"Like I said, I have a feeling that he won't tell me anything about it, or he'll probably lie to my face."

"Then that means you back off and stop bothering about it." Mikasa says, and Levi detects a small spark of anger simmering in her because of his insistence.

"Listen," Levi sighs, his irritation also starting to simmer, "I already know how much you care about Eren because of how much he cares about you. He lives with me, and I'm fond of him; he's a good brat." Levi says, and he accidentally lets a tone of warmth slip from his lips as he speaks, "Firstly, what he was talking about. Does it have something to do with the gang that his Father got all tangled up in? And secondly, could he, in any way, be in danger?"

Silence.

"Yes." It was quiet. "And yes again..."

Levi clenches his fist, closes his eyes a second, "Okay." he says, "This might be a little sudden of me, but all I want to do is protect him and keep him safe from those jerks. The reason I called you was to ask for some help, or in another roundabout way, help you look after him. If Eren won't tell me anything to help him, then I know that you will. I'll keep my eye on him. I'll make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid like he's always so prone to."

There is silence once again.

"You… Promise me you'll tell me if anything - no matter how small - happens."

"Swear on it."

"Before Eren began living and working with you," Mikasa starts and even as she speaks, Levi can hear the remaining hesitance that she has about telling him about Eren, "he lived in a small apartment a few shinkansen stops away from yours. The other day, when he went grocery shopping, he decided to check up on his mailbox, to see if any deliveries and letters had been accidentally sent to his old address rather than his new one. It - there was a letter, only one, in his mailbox. It was from them, the gang - The Titans."

"The Titans?" Levi asks, and his brow quirks at the familiarity of the title.

"Yeah. The one that pressured his dad in to killing himself." Mikasa breathes out slowly, "The letter in his mailbox - Eren wouldn't show it to me. The only reason he told me about it was because I picked up on his tense behaviour when he came to see me afterwards at the gym. He hid it pretty well; the only reason that I even found out that anything was wrong was when the letter fell out of his pocket, the idiot." She pauses and Levi gets the feeling that the both of them are employing a little bit of a warm smile on their faces, recalling Eren's multiple sloppy attempts at stealth. "I don't know what the letter was about, Levi." Mikasa says afterward, and slivers of worry escape her lips with her words, "I'm just worried - I'm worried about whatever the hell they sent him. It could be anything. A threat? Photos? What if they want to meet up with him?"

Levi's jaw tightens.

"That's all I know right now." Mikasa then says, exhaling out a long breath, sounding still as worried as she had at the start of her explanation.

"Thank you." Levi says softly, "I'm glad that Eren has someone that cares so much about him."

" _You're_ glad?" Mikasa says, " _I'm_  so grateful that you look out for Eren as much as you do, especially considering the short time that you've known him. Thank you Levi, having you there for him makes me feel much better."

"That's alright, you're welcome."

"I need to go now, I have a session starting in a few minutes. Make sure to watch him and keep him safe."

"I will. Bye Mikasa." Levi hangs up.

He sits there, mulling over the words that he's just heard from Mikasa before he suddenly stands.

Time to interrogate Eren.

Levi is determined to find out whatever the hell is going on with the brat, and what that letter that he had received from them is all about. Peculiarly, a strong surge of protectiveness overtakes him whenever Eren is involved.  Even with just the other day, when the brat had burnt his finger by accidentally handling a hot tray of food - Levi had lengthily lectured him with a growl at the back of his throat and a sense of protectiveness overcoming him that was way too intense for the small singe of skin that Eren had undergone.

Levi doesn't even feel that protective about Irvin or Hanji, and he's known those two weirdos since Junior High.

Yes, Levi worries for and about them, but Eren produces a more intense and definite sort of worry and protectiveness.

Levi runs a hand through his hair, intent upon ridding himself of these peculiar thoughts to focus on something much more important: the letter that Eren received from the Titans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! :D  
> You can leave comments if you'd like! If there are any mistakes with the text, don't hesitate to point that out also! :)


	8. Jaeger Corp.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaeger Corp. show up.  
> Levi decides to act in accordance with his instincts without Eren knowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY.  
> I AM BACK.
> 
> FINALLY.  
> I HAVE A NEW CHAPTER FOR YOU.
> 
> School has finally finished for me - assignments are all done and now I'm on a nice long holiday.  
> So I have heaps of time to give you guys new chapters! Hooray!  
> Thanks for waiting so long, and muah! I apologise for taking so long!

"Eren," Levi says, eyeing the brat with an interrogating narrow of his eyes, "Mikasa rang up." He says it slowly, analysing Eren for any sign of reaction.

"She did?" The younger male asks, and he sounds flustered, recalling his former phone conversation with his sister, "What did she, uh, want to talk about?"

Levi pauses, lets Eren look over his shoulder so that their eyes meet before saying slowly, "A threat." Then he watches carefully, watches Eren's expression, taking note of any detailed alterations of his facial expression and demeanour. The brat's shoulders tense up and he glances down at his feet once before he blinks his lashes four times uncommonly fast.

He glances up shortly afterwards and sees Levi's narrowed gaze before he quickly looks down again to avert any hints of the Titan's threat which could be communicated through his eyes, "A threat?" He asks and there's an obvious nervous tone to his voice. Despite that, Eren does well to attempt at hiding his nerves as he turns away from Levi and averts his attention back to the stove, "What threat?"

"It involved you." Levi answers immediately.

Eren clears his throat and doesn't reply. He stands with his back to Levi, staring down in to the pan which is sizzling the onion and garlic in the oil, slowly transitioning them to a light transparency.

Levi taps at his knee as he sits atop the high chair of the kitchen counter, awaiting any hint that Eren is willing - or maybe even not so willing - to give away. After a few seconds of silence, Levi decides that he shouldn't place too much pressure on Eren to tell him. Of course Levi is desperate to know just why in hell the Titans would contact Eren but he can't expect the brat to come suddenly forthright with all the answers to his questions.

"Yep. She threatened me." Levi says and leans back, leaving the issue of the Titan's letter for later.

The brown-haired boy turns quickly, his eyes wide with obvious relief, "That's it?"

"What do you mean 'that's it'?" Levi asks and watches with peculiar amusement as Eren becomes taut once again about being caught out by the suspicious tone of Levi's voice, "She was intense."

Eren breathes out with relief, "Y-Yeah, she can be like that."

"Aren't you going to ask? Aren't you dying to know what her threat was?" Levi asks Eren. Indirectly, he's jabbing at the Titan's letter that Eren will most likely not tell anyone about (Levi will badger him until he confesses).

"Um, what did she say?"

"She said that if I hurt you, then she'd break my face, my skull, my limbs and my dick."

Eren pauses. "Oh." He says before turning back toward the pan of garlic and onion.

"Guess I shouldn't hurt you." Levi says absent-mindedly before he pauses and purses his lips. He really shouldn't say this, he really shouldn't hit on the boy any more than he already has - "Unless… you _want_ me to hurt you?" Dammit. Goddammit. He just had to go on and say it.

Despite a part of himself cursing at his lack of control, Levi revels in the tensing of Eren's shoulders and seeing the boy's ears flush a bright red.

Whenever Levi makes sexual jokes to Irvin, nothing happens. The man only looks straight at him with that passive, rock-solid face sculpted by the gods themselves. Despite practically anything, Irvin is never thrown off.

On the other hand, if Levi jests innuendos at Hanji, the witch cackles until no end and most of the time, she slaps Levi - _hard_ \- on the back, and then cackles again before guffawing.

"Um, I," Eren bites his lip, flushing profusely "I can handle a little brutality."

It's only a murmur, a very quiet stating of words, but Levi hears it. He raises a brow before a smirk slowly transgresses on to his face. Little Eren isn't so innocent as he had thought he was. Levi leans on to one of his elbows, "Oh yeah?" He asks, and can't help the flirtatious tone tied to his words.

Eren shifts slightly uncomfortably before glancing back at Levi. He clears his throat, and then tersely turns back to his cooking. Levi watches the whole time, unable to tear his eyes away from the show that is Eren Jaeger. He's about to open his mouth to spout some more flirtatious lines but -

_Bee boo wa wa wa wa bee boo wa wa -_

Levi rolls his eyes out of frustration. The techno shit ringtone attacks once again.

He glances at the Caller ID, gives an impatient sigh and then answers, "Hello fuckface."

"Levi," Irvin greets, "Language."

"What'd you call about?"

"Jaeger Corp." Irvin states, getting right to the point. "They're an organisation that have already earned themselves quite a lot of fame. They came in for a business meeting today to discuss contracts. Though they did it discreetly and rather indirectly, they attempted to badger information about Eren and his possible whereabouts. One of their team was hovering around the main office suspiciously."

Levi stands from the kitchen counter stool and walks to his room, moving out of Eren's ear shot so that he can talk privately to Irvin about the matter at hand.

"Jaeger Corp?" Levi asks once he's confined in his room, "Like Eren's last name?"

"The same one. It's on their business card. I'll send a photo."

Levi doesn't reply, terse, and only waits, staring at his phone. As soon as the photo via email arrives, Levi clicks on the notification to open it instantly. He waits as it loads.

Once it has, there, on his screen, is Jaeger Corp's business card. It's silver - upfront, classy, determined, with a line of sleek black running two thirds across it. At the bottom, in bold black is the word 'JAEGER'. What catches Levi's eye though, is the smaller slash beside the word, and the label 'HUNTER' in smaller text.

Levi's eyes narrow in on the word.

"Hunter?" he asks aloud.

"Jaeger is German for Hunter."

Jaeger Corp. There's definitely a burden of suspicion placed upon the organisation for showing up so suddenly and so recently to interlay with the threat made to Eren from the Titans. The translation of Jaeger being 'Hunter'. That's another thing to worry about.

Could this new 'Jaeger Corp' really be the Titans in disguise?

Jaeger being Hunter in English could be a hidden message to Eren - are they trying to 'hunt' him? The threat that they sent to Eren, could that have had anything to do with the supposed Jaeger Corp. showing up at Irvin's company?

But Eren  _had_ mentioned his family's wealth when he had told him about his father's tragic tale. There was more belief in Jaeger Corp. being Eren's grandparents rather than the Titans, but they  _did_ have a penchant for picking on Eren's dad. Maybe it was a Jaeger thing if they were trying to look for Eren now as well.

"Did you give them any information?" Levi asks.

"They tried to extract it from various colleagues through 'measly' conversation, but nothing was given to them. I assure you of that."

"Good."

"Levi, I'm hoping you've got this under control." Irvin says, having noticed Levi's strained tone of voice.

"Hopefully I have." Levi replies honestly. "I'm hanging up." He is about to press the red button but pauses and then speaks again, "Thanks Irvin. Make sure to call me if anything else happens."

With that final line, Levi hangs up on the taller blonde haired man.

For a few seconds, he lets his thoughts play with one another. Let's them attempt to fit together like puzzle pieces.

The Titans. All this time, there's been something eerily familiar about the name. The familiarity resides at the back of Levi's head, but it's unwilling to come forth and present itself. It's _nagging_ at him - almost as badly as Eren does when Levi leaves his suit jackets lying around and they end up crumpled all over.

Eren Jaeger. Surely the brat himself isn't intertwined with his father's dark doings. He couldn't be - he's too innocent and naive. He can't lie - he sucks ass at it. He wouldn't be able to manipulate anyone - he would suck ass at that too. Eren is only an average working man, he receives a fairly average income. He's not filthy rich albeit his grandparents probably are, but he has nothing to do with them and they have nothing to do with him either.

If that's so, then why would the Titans start threatening him? Even if this supposed Jaeger Corp aren't the Titans and turn out to be Eren's grandparents or relatives, or maybe even people that aren't concerned with Eren in any way, Levi already knows about their letter to Eren's former address - surely, they would have had to look around for it.

But if Jaeger Corp. turn out to be just his grandparents, then... what? What were they trying to do, looking for him? Did they not understand that maybe Eren might not want to see them? When the brat had told Levi about his father's story, he had sounded a little bitter towards them - with good reason. They earned a part of the blame of Eren's parent's death, didn't they? They added to the build-up to the finale; if even Levi could feel a little bitter about it, then what about Eren?

The brat, as far as Levi knows, hasn't gone to look for them in all his life. They haven't reached out to him either. Why now, though? That's what Levi's worried about.

His hand clenches and then unclenches, brows furrowing.

Throughout the time that he has known Eren, he has unconsciously developed a protective instinct over him. Willing to admit it to himself but not aloud, there's affection mixed in with that protectiveness that's more than just mere friendship. Eren has grown rather dear to him and quite honestly, Levi isn't sure how he was even able to live without the naive little shit running around and doing his usually undone chores.

Levi crosses his arms, taps at the edge of his cell, frowns, before he removes one arm from the cross upon his chest to hold out his cell phone. He types a speedy text message to Irvin.

 

 

 

> To : Douchebag Smith  
>  From : Levi
> 
> _Get me a meeting with Jaeger Corp._

 

He tucks his arm with his cell in hand back in to a cross over his chest and waits for Irvin's reply.

 

 

 

> To : Levi  
>  From : Douchebag Smith
> 
> _Reason._

 

Levi rolls his eyes.

 

 

 

> To : Douchebag Smith  
>  From : Levi
> 
> _Eren Jaeger._
> 
>  
> 
> To : Levi  
>  From : Douchebag Smith
> 
> _Clarify._
> 
>  

Levi scowls at the screen of his cell. Damn Irvin and him needing to know everything.

 

 

 

> To : Douchebag Smith  
>  From : Levi
> 
> _Family stuff on his part._
> 
>  
> 
> To : Levi  
>  From : Douchebag Smith
> 
> _Why can't he deal with it?_
> 
>  
> 
> To : Douchebag Smith  
>  From : Levi
> 
> _Because. He doesn't know about it, and it's going to stay that way. Okay?_
> 
>  

Irvin's next reply takes a while longer than all the others combined and Levi, already so ruffled about Jaeger Corp. suddenly showing up, is just about ready to call and rage before ditching his phone at the wall.

When his cell finally trills at the receiving of a text, Levi's fingers even _fumble_ to read it.

 

 

 

> To : Levi  
>  From : Douchebag Smith
> 
> _Meeting is two days from now, at Jaeger Corp. 2pm sharp._
> 
>  
> 
> To : Douchebag Smith  
>  From : Levi
> 
> _Thanks homo._
> 
> To : Levi  
>  From : Douchebag Smith
> 
> _You_ do _owe me._
> 
>  
> 
> To : Douchebag Smith  
>  From : Levi
> 
> _Meh._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw,
> 
>  
> 
> [my tumblr, click click!](http://harehi.tumblr.com)


	9. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin visits Eren at Levi's.  
> And Levi has an encounter with jealousy; Eren and him become a little closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN SO LONG.  
> And I'm sorry about that. Just - so much holidays and so much catching up with friends! So much festivities!  
> But I'm back now, and despite school coming up, I'll try to update as much/soon as I can!  
> Sorry the the hiatus... :/  
> But thanks for sticking with me. :)  
> xx
> 
> [ my tumblr!](http://harehi.tumblr.com)

_The naive brat,_ Levi thinks with a smirk on his face. Eren hasn't realised, even with the past week and a bit, that Levi's apartment makes speech much more audible rather than muffled and unheard.

Levi has never found a reason to appraise the apartment's great auditory skills but this one seems a fairly good one.

Eren has his best friend, Armin, over and they both think that he's still asleep from pulling an all nighter on the next chapter of his novel. He usually is, really, but with the noise and the sound of Eren's voice flustering, how can he not be awake?

So he had awoken and just when he was about to walk out in to the hall and then in to the kitchen to make himself a boiling cup of tea as per usual, he had stopped, fingertips just resting on the doorknob.

The reason for this? Eren had just exclaimed in a very embarrassed-sounding voice, "O-Oh my god, please, it was, like, once!"

Levi had raised a brow at that before sitting down at his desk, listening intently until he was where he was now - still listening just as intently.

"Just once?" A voice asked, and Levi knew it was Armin's. "You said he kisses you here and there! That's not really 'once ' "

Levi raises his brow. This is about him, isn't it? … Isn't it?

If it isn't, then Eren sure has a whole lot of answering to do.

"Only s-sometimes! C-Can we please not talk about this - "

"Why did you only tell me that you were hooking up with the famous Levi just now?!"

Levi feels a little spark of self-satisfaction. Of course Eren wouldn't turn to anyone else but him despite the confusing entanglement of relationship that they are.

"Oh my god, 'hooking up'?"

"He's famous!"

Eren makes a noise of frustrated embarrassment.

Levi smirks at it.

"Does he ever, like, speak some of his, like, _novel lines_ to you?"

"Oh my god, what?"

Levi really can't help the grin that slips on to his face at that.

"C'mon, not even the infamous line, 'The only arrest you'll get is - '"

"AaahhHH!"

Levi laughs a little at Eren's outburst of embarrassment.

" _No!_ No, no, no, no, no! That just - this is totally _not_ what you and I usually talk about!"

"Well duh, because one of us finally has a sex life."

Levi snorts, and shakes a little at how horribly amusing this is. What virgins.

"S-SEX LIFE?!" Eren sounds a little mortified and super embarrassed and Levi's fingers itch again - he's been having the same kind of itching impulse more regularly lately and he knows it's due to how adorable the brat is. It's a little too alluring and a whole lot frustrating, really, how attracted he's becoming to Eren so quickly.

"No, i-it's not like that!" Eren exclaims.

"Then what _is_ it like?" Armin asks.

Levi feels a little on edge waiting for the brat to answer. It's not the solution that he's been searching throughout his head for as to just _what_ he and Eren are slowly transitioning in to despite the whole Titans thing and despite the whole co-workers thing, but it's still just a little step closer to there, isn't it? It's a little bit more of a hint as to why he feels so affectionately to Eren. Because yes, it's affection but it baffles Levi as to _why_ it's there. He's not an easily swayed man - Irvin, Hanji, everyone he's worked with - knows that. And it's a little mystifying how Eren can just come out of nowhere and sway him like no one has before. How the brat can actually make him _want_ almost like he himself - being author that he is - has pretty much just dived head-first in to one of his way too sexual erotic literature novels. It's a little funny sometimes, Levi admits, because really, he has _dreams_ about Eren and himself mixed up into some of the erotic literature scenarios that he's written. Dreams that only horny teenagers are meant to have - the dreams that are all way too hyped up and sexy. And really, why is Levi sidetracking to those dreams? Forget them (for now). Back to Eren.

"I-I don't know…" Levi hears the brat say. "Just - he said it wasn't love and - "

Something about the way Eren sounds a little dejected about saying that makes Levi want to -

He pauses mid-thought. Want to what? Levi doesn't even completely know himself.

" _He_ said it wasn't love." Armin interjects. "What do _you_ say?"

There's a pause. "… I've only known him for like, a week, Armin." Eren says, sounding a little mumbly. "It isn't."

"But there _is_ something, right?"

"I - I don't know…"

Levi bites his lip, eyes narrowing in on the wall across from where he's seated.

"Well, Eren," Armin says and the kid sounds a little jovial. "You _were_ the king of dense in high school."

"What?"

"Even the high school nurse - you know, the one with the huge, y'know - hit on you for a while there but you didn't even have the slightest clue about it. Like geez  - she was hot!"

"And none of you told me about that - about how she had a thing for me?!"

Levi scowls at Eren's slightly exasperated tone. If the brat is thinking about that nurse with any indecent thoughts - even worse, if there's a little bit of regret or some sort of distant forlorn emotion igniting within him, then yes - Levi is jealous. So, _so_ jealous. Which is different, it's new. He had expected a little jealously, honestly, but not this type of simmering jealousy, threatening to broil and overflow. Eren better not be wishing a replay of his high school life to appease the loss of that nurse because Levi will seriously beat him up for it if he is.

"Well duh. She would have totally done you if you _had_ known and anyway - "

Levi scowls and that's the last line he bothers to hear before he opens his bedroom door roughly and makes his way out to the kitchen with an irritated expression pasted on his face with seemingly permanent glue. The jealousy that is slowly oozing it's way through his body like a slow, burning lava is sudden and unexpected. It's baffling, really - even _thinking_ about Eren with someone else is enough to ignite this sort of jealousy within him.

Amidst his strong feelings of possessiveness, Levi hadn't bothered to put on a shirt so he walks out in all his chiselled glory, black track pants riding a little too loosely to be casual, making his 'just-outta-bed' look a whole lot sexier.

When he walks out from the hallway, he brushes a hand through his slightly unruly bed-hair and then pauses a little, pretending that 'Oh. Eren has a guest. Well.'

But he can't help to snicker a little in his head and do the best he can to withhold an oncoming smirk at both Eren and Armin. They're staring at him, eyes wide and trying so hard to abort the sneaky looks down his body. Levi mentally shakes his head. Virgins.

"Hi." Levi says, voice a little strained, eyes sticking to Eren a whole lot, trying to mentally convey his message of 'So. This teacher nurse chick with the huge 'y'know'. Tell me about her, huh.' It's a little of a sneering message but it's backed up with a whole lot of jealousy transmuting in to a steely-eyed look towards Eren.

Eren cocks his head a little at the look and goddammit, Levi can't be so wooed by him and his adorableness to actually forget about his hearing about this school nurse.

"Hi." Armin says, a little awkwardly. "You must be Levi."

"And you're Armin." Levi says and flips the kettle switch on.

"Um, nice to meet you."

"You too." 

* * *

 

"So that's Armin." Levi says, glancing up from a novel to look up at Eren who had just led his best friend from out of the house.

"That's Armin." Eren states with a small nod of his head and plenty of warmth in his voice; it ignites a little tic of jealously within Levi.

Truthfully, ever since his and Eren's moment of… Passion? Lust? Whatever it was where Levi had pretty much stripped Eren out of his shirt to see his tattoo, there's been a little undercurrent of awkwardness here and there. It's not truly awkward, though; just a little trying. The confusion of what the whole kissing/groping thing meant to them is no help in the undercurrent of awkwardness between the two. 

They're in a moment of pause, of 'What do I say? Am I meant to say something?' until Levi clears his throat.

"So how have you been lately?" He asks. It's a bit of an odd question to ask someone living with you but he really hasn't had much time to converse with Eren for the past two, three, days; what with his rather nocturnal work habits.

Eren looks a little surprised before he's dilly dallying in the kitchen again, smiling, making himself a cup of cocoa as he usually does. "Good, I guess." He answers. "Did you want another cup of tea?"

"No, that's fine thanks." Levi answers. There's a pause, the only sound between the two of them being Eren working the coffee machine to make cocoa. "So. School nurse in high school had the hots for you?"

Levi watches, a little smugly he admits, as Eren's face flushes a bright red instantly. "U-Um, y-you heard that?"

"Hard not to. I woke up a little before then and picked up on your conversation."

"Oh." Eren nods a little, understandingly, before he pauses and his eyes widen a little as he remembers the content of conversation that he and Armin had been talking about _before_ the school nurse. He quickly looks up at Levi and with one glance in to his eyes, he has his answer. Levi had heard their conversation before that of the school nurse. All Eren wants to do is run away, to disappear, out of embarrassment.

"Was she hot?" Levi asks, still a little jealous about the whole thing.

"W-Wha - ?" Eren is a little surprised. Who's he talking about? The school nurse?

Honestly, he thought that Levi would be more intent on talking about their relationship status rather than the school nurse.

"Um, I guess she was rather attractive…" Eren says, not really thinking, slowly walking to the couch and sitting beside Levi on it, cup of cocoa in hand.

"Is that so…"

There's a certain pang of _something_ in Levi's voice and Eren's head tilts a little to the side at the sound of it. He turns to Levi, frowning a little as he watches him.

"You're staring, brat." He sounds a little upset.

Eren gets a little giddy - just a little. Levi couldn't be. He couldn't be.

"She _did_ have big 'y'knows.' " Eren says experimentally.

Levi's head whips to turn at him, eyes dangerously narrowed. "Excuse me?" Was Eren happy about that fact? Levi scowls a little. He better not be.

Eren can't help it. He grins.

Levi's brow raises at the facial expression, his look bearing no amusement, content or sarcasm. Though it _is_ tinged with a little - or, most probably a lot - of _jealousy_. Towards a school nurse that Eren hasn't seen since what? 10th, 11th grade? Towards a school nurse that he has never thought of as more than that; the school nurse. It's a little amusing and a whole lot satisfying for Eren.

"Levi," he says in a teasing tone. "Are you what I think you are right now?"

Levi doesn't say anything, his looks still demanding no bullshit.

"You're… jealous." Eren says, with a little bit of smug sneaking in to his voice and on to his grin, an outlining of slight surprise accompanying it.

The look on Levi's face after that is award-winning. He actually looks a little baffled, and that's a hard expression to come by on his always irritated looking face.

Eren's grin widens at that.

Levi quickly recovers from his moment of surprised bemusement and he sneers after clearing his throat, turning back to reading his novel. "Stop getting ahead of yourself."

Eren laughs a little and takes a sip of his cocoa before placing it down on the coffee table affront them. "C'mon. You are."

Levi only scowls a little.

"So you're really not jealous about how _hot_ my school nurse was?"

"Oh, she was not hot. You were just a pubescent high schooler."

"You're not jealous about all the times she hit on me?"

"She was probably just a lonely old hag trying for some company."

"Then you probably mustn't be jealous about all the dreams that I've had of her and her huge 'y'knows'?"

Levi's hand tightens around his novel. "So." He says a little too nonchalantly, "What was her name? What school? Do you know where she is right now?"

Eren laughs and lays his head back on the couch, somewhat giddy from his teasing Levi. "What're you going to do with that information?"

"Like I'd tell you."

"Just don't cut off her huge 'y'knows'. I really liked them."

Levi laughs at that, a sudden laugh, like he wasn't expecting it to escape from the back of his throat. It turns a little strangled before Levi coughs and clears his throat, in attempts to vanquish the sound of surprised delight from the air between Eren and him.

They sit there awhile, and Eren is just letting his brain work, letting his thoughts run free. Thoughts of how Levi _is_ jealous, he is. Or thoughts of how he doesn't know if Levi's laugh is more adorable or sexy - maybe the sound of it is equal parts of both. Thoughts of what their relationship is and ultimately, what it could transition to. Then there's thoughts of the Titans always in the back of his head, along with the pain-dulled reminder that they killed his father and that they're maybe coming after him too. There's thoughts of a little fear after that. A little anger. A little bitterness. There's a tiny, minuscule hunger for revenge but he knows that what happened to his father is also his own fault. He was the one who decided that making freaking illegal drugs was the solution to his problems with the Titans. He -

There's a hand on his.

Eren looks up.

"You looked a little tense." Levi says, his voice soft, his own face a little tense.

Eren nods, "Sorry. Just thinking." Of the Titans. Of their threat. He looks back up at Levi. Eren hasn't told anyone about the threat yet - Mikasa knows of it, but she doesn't know of it's contents. Though she has a calm, calculated resolve, when it comes to Armin and him, she's like a bull charging forward with strength; that sometimes makes her blind as to what's happening aside her. He can't tell Mikasa about the threat.

Eren bites his lip. The threat has been a constant weighing on his shoulders. Each time he looks at Mikasa, Armin and Levi, there's a little feeling inside him. And it tastes a whole lot like betrayal. He feels like he's betraying them by not telling them.

"Eren?" Levi asks. "Tense look. Again."

Eren lets loose a breathy laugh, short and half-hearted. "Sorry." he says. "Um, listen. There's this… _thing_ that I need to tell you about."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, don't get all panicked. It's nothing about _us_ , but rather about _me_."

Levi nods, and his eyes are watching Eren carefully. "What is it?"

"The other day…" Eren says, and he only realises that he's still holding Levi's hand. He squeezes it a bit. "The other day I got a letter."

"A letter?" Levi's hand squeezes his own back.

"Yes. At my old address before I came here and moved in with you." Eren is saying things a little slowly, trying to approach the subject as softly as he can.

"Okay. And the letter? Was it of any great concern?"

"Um, yeah. See, the thing is… It was from…" Eren trails off hesitantly.

"From…?"

"It was from the - "

_Bee boo wa wa wa wa bee boo wa wa -_

_Goddammit,_ Levi thinks, letting out a rugged breath filled with irritation. He had been so close to hearing from Eren himself about the Titan's letter.

"Oh…" Eren says and he lets go of Levi's hand. He looks at the clock beside the TV. 1:30pm. "Oh." He says again and then, "Oh! Your 2 o'clock meeting!"

"Wait, what were you saying?" Levi says, turning back to Eren.

"Don't worry about that now, I'll - I'll tell you later. Go, or you'll be late!" Eren says and he's ushering Levi towards the front door, grabbing up his coat and cellphone on the way.

He hands them out to Levi at the entrance. "Have fun."

"At my meeting?" Levi asks, "Doubt I will."

Eren smiles, "Just don't screw anything up then, I guess."

Levi smirks, "You're the one telling me to not screw anything up. _You?_ "

"Just trying to give some advice from an experienced screwer-upper."

Levi shakes his head, amused. "I'll see you for dinner."

"Okay. Bye." Eren's about to close the door but just before he does, Levi holds it open. "Wh-What is it?"

"I might have been just a little jealous." He admits and then goes.

Eren blinks before grinning. "I knew it!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ my tumblr!](http://harehi.tumblr.com)


	10. Nikolaus Jaeger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi meets Nikolaus Jaeger, head of Jaeger Corp. and also Eren's grandfather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *LE GASP* An update!
> 
> (I don't think a grandpa Jaeger has ever been mentioned in the SNK series - has he? - but either way, I'm improvising on the name here)
> 
>  
> 
> [btw, my tumblr](http://harehi.tumblr.com)

The man before Levi is the head of Jaeger Corp. His name is Nikolaus Jaeger.

He's elderly, grey hairs sprouting from his head. There are wrinkles along his face but in no way do they make him look old. They somehow make him appear tougher, sturdier, more resilient - like he's conquered whatever obstacles in his life head-on. His eyes do not waver, do not give way to any insecurities or hidden emotions. They're cold, calculating and a little ruthless.

His hands are folded at his chin, elbows resting on the dark mahogany desk he's sitting at. It's a reminiscent power-pose that reminds Levi of Irvin - he pulls it on him so much that he's practically immune to the intimidation it's meant to ignite (thank you, Irvin Smith). He's dressed in a slick and suave black suit and if it weren't for the schmancy room that they're in and the lack of  fedora hats, then they could have been pulled straight out from a mafia movie.

Nikolaus finally breaks the silence in-between them by speaking.

"You are Levi?"

"Yes."

Another pause. Nikolaus' eyes glint a little, and his former look of observation turns in to that of interrogation.

"You know my grandson." It's not really a question but more of a statement.

"Yes I do." Levi answers, and crosses one leg over the other, arms already folded over one another across his chest. When he had laid his eyes on Nikolaus Jaeger for the first time after entering the room, he had known instantly that he need not worry about Jaeger Corp. being some kind of crappy threat from the Titans. Nikolaus passed on a very distinct genetic trait that assured Levi of his grandfatherly relation to the brat: the eyes. The compelling turquoise-green ones, albeit a little faded from age on Nikolaus' face.

"He also works for you - from what I've heard."

"That, he does."

"And what do you _do_ , Mr Levi?"

"Levi's fine." He gives Nikolaus a quirk of his lip. "And I'm a writer."

"A writer." Nikolaus' says. It looks as if he's mulling over the fact in his head, raising a brow as he questions himself 'Is that a worthy occupation?'

Levi being Levi decides to give Nikolaus an even harder time to decide whether or not it is. "Yes. I specialise in erotic literature." He gives the older man a challenging quirk of his lips afterwards.

Nikolaus' eyes narrow in on Levi even more, and there's a glint in his eyes that pretty much says 'I disapprove.'

Levi smirks at the elderly man, and he's satisfied that he's at least been able to deter the man from a steely indifferent resolve.

"Erotic literature, you say?"

"I thought I stated that loud and clear."

"And my grandson actually _works_ for you?"

"Lives with me too, might I add."

" _Lives_ with you?" The idea is absurd to grandpa Jaeger.

"Yes sir."

Nikolaus' brows furrow, like he's somehow lost some sort of battle with Levi.

 

 

> _He grinned, a little feral and a whole lot daring. "So you're the dick of a grandfather that didn't bother with her even though she had nothing to do with her father's - your_ son's - _business."_
> 
> _The older man glared, arms crossed, face stern and gruff. "And just_ who _are you?"_
> 
> _"A mere messenger." He replied, manoeuvring to stand on his two feet as he wiped his bloody cut mouth, glaring at the two bodyguards on either side of him, shooting them a nasty glare. "I'm here to tell you to go fuck yourself and_ leave her be _. She wants nothing to do with you."_
> 
> _There's a pause in-between the two of them, both giving each other steely-eyed looks._
> 
> _"Are you really so sure about that?" His voice had no falter. "You know her heart, always so naive, that child."_

 

"Well." Nikolaus says and leans back from his domineering pose until he's seated right back against his leathered chair. "I'm disappointed, to say the least."

Levi raises a brow before he scoffs. "Disappointed?" He asks, sounding incredulous and offended on Eren's behalf.

"Yes, that my blood would thin to this extent."

Levi's eye twitches. " _You're_ the one that's disappointed?"

"I don't think it's wise of you to take up that kind of tone with me." Nikolaus' says, eyes narrowed as he moves to employ the domineering pose he had formerly leaned out of.

Levi snorts. "I think it is." Very smart, Levi. "And how can _you_ be disappointed with Eren, huh?" Levi feels bubbles of anger start to simmer inside of him. "What about him? You don't get to be disappointed in him, not after what he's been through, which, might I add, you could have fixed - but didn't."

Levi sees Nikolaus' jaw tick but he doesn't stop his mouth from running on.

"You haven't asked me one question about Eren himself - you don't know anything about your own grandson and it seems like you don't want to, Mr _Jaeger_. And I am certain, that whatever disappointment you feel for him, he feels tenfold - a hundred fold even." Levi hisses, fingers gripping on to his other arm tightly, the two appendages crossed over. "I'm sure your own son feels that disappointment."

Nikolaus stands, and the loud smack of his palms against his desk brings about an echo of silence as they glare one another down.

"You know nothing of my son." Nikolaus' says and pulls back, as he places his hands behind his back, attempting to regain his steely and indifferent outlook.

"I've heard enough from Eren to know who to blame."

There's another pause and more glaring between the two of them.

Nikolaus eventually takes his seat again, having seemingly calmed himself enough to retain his steely rather than fiery demeanour. "It seems, Mr Levi, that you have overstayed your welcome."

"Oh? What a pity." Levi stands and picks up his coat. Before he turns to leave, he gives Nikolaus Jaeger a look that matches his: steely, firm and resolute. Before he turns, his lip quirks up in a smirk and then he turns, knowing that he has probably pissed Nikolaus Jaeger off even more.

But he's okay with that - more than okay with that, actually.

* * *

 

After attending another fan meeting and signing event and also bantering with Irvin for the 1000th time, Levi is back at home. He sighs as he unlocks the door and hangs his coat up on the hanger near the entrance.

"Welcome back!" Eren calls, his voice a faint ring from the kitchen.

There's a delicious aroma wafting around the house and, as per usual, Levi is drawn to it's source. To the kitchen. To Eren.

He sees the boy standing at the oven, a wooden stick sifting softly through the assortment of vegetables in the pan. He has an apron on, and Levi would never admit it but quite recently, he's started to develop a sort of odd, sort of kinky apron fetish… The way that the string is tied around the waist, how it subtly outlines more of Eren's figure -

"How was the meeting?" Eren asks, snapping Levi out of his travelling gaze.

Levi clears his throat indistinctly and sits atop the kitchen counter high-stool where he usually waits for Eren to finish cooking. His laptop is already there, where Eren always places it after realising that Levi always sits there (though that habit only started when Eren started living with him). He opens his laptop and his hands, via habit, open up the latest work that he's been working on for his next novel.

"It was okay." Levi lies.

Eren turns around without moving his feet and raises a brow at Levi. "It doesn't sound like it was okay."

Levi's lips quirk up in to a small smile as Eren turns back to the stove. It sometimes amazes him how much Eren already understands him, how he notices even the smallest things. Ah, what a housewife.

Later, they are sitting at the table across from one another; they usually eat here or at the kitchen counter beside one another. Eren smiles as he tops his plate of penne pasta up with a generous handful of grated cheese.

"And you say _I'm_ not healthy." Levi can't help but say.

Eren looks up and a pout slowly forms on his face. "But cheese is almighty."

Levi smirks, holding off from laughing. "Just eat before your food gets cold."

Eren tries to hide away his smile by looking down at his food as he picks up his fork and starts eating. Levi follows afterwards and they sit in a comfortable silence a few bites in to their dinner before Levi remembers about Eren's near-confession about the Titan's threat letter.

Levi clears his throat, "What was it you were telling me - before I had to leave?"

Eren looks up, eyes wide and curious, questioning, before the memory clicks in his head and he remembers. His face turns serious suddenly, and he glances down at his pasta before swallowing the spoonful that had been in his mouth. "Right…" He trails off, and he places his fork down.

Levi raises a brow at the brat when their eyes meet, a silent question.

"But you better not freak out."

"Why would I freak out?" Levi is telling himself to act nonchalant.

"Just tell me you won't. Or that you won't get, all, like, weird or - "

Levi watches as Eren babbles on and keeps on talking, almost trying to stall himself away from telling Levi about the threat.

"Spit it out, Jaeger." Levi says, trying to keep the mood light as he smirks.

Eren pauses, lips parted, before closing them and pausing again. "Right." He finally says. "Um, what was I saying?"

Levi casually takes another bite of his pasta, "You were saying that you received a letter from your old address mailbox or something. You were telling me who it was from but then I had to leave for my meeting."

Eren's brows furrow a little. "Okay. Um, you know how my dad had that run-in with that gang? The one that was after my mom?"

"Yeah?" Levi 'casually' takes another bite of the pasta.

"Well, I don't know if my dad didn't properly pay them back or something or if they still hold a grudge against him or if they're just simply trying to terrorise me or not, but they - " Eren pauses his babbling and glances down as he takes a breath, "they're the ones who sent me the letter." His gaze is still directed downwards, at his lap, probably watching as he twiddles his fingers together.

Levi swallows his pasta and cautiously thinks through his options of reaction. He's thinking through all of them, of how Eren could possibly react, when the said male looks up from his twiddling fingers with wide, waiting eyes. He looks nervous, Levi realises, and a little guilty.

"It's okay that you didn't tell me sooner." Levi said, trying to ease away Eren's guilt.

He's rewarded with an appreciative smile that communicates as, 'Thank you for understanding' and the mood is good - until Eren frowns.

"Wait." Eren says and he holds up his hand. "You said that it was okay that I didn't tell you sooner, right?"

Levi raises a brow. "Yes…?"

Eren frowns more and seems to be mulling something over before he looks up at Levi, in to his eyes. "But how'd you know I had it before? That's what that statement implies, right?

Levi's lips part to speak - to say anything, to make up some sort of stupid excuse - but nothing comes out. So he closes his lips again.

Eren's eyes narrow. "You knew."

 _Fuck_ , Levi thinks and he panics even more when Eren doesn't do anything but glare. He doesn't stand to walk away, he doesn't say anything else, he isn't sneering or ignoring Levi. All he does is cross his arms slowly and size Levi up.

Levi's lips part to speak, but once again, they only end up closing as no excuses surface - at least, not under the supervision of Eren's hounding housewife glare.

Eren places more pressure on Levi when he raises his one brow, ultimately giving him the look of, 'Do not even _try_ to bullshit me.'

Levi gulps. Nikolaus Jaeger could learn a skill or two from his grandson in terms of intimidation.

"Eren - " Levi starts off, planning to tell him that he had seen the letter, or tell him that it was a wrong choice of wordings, that he's sorry if it seemed like he knew about the letter behind his back but -

"Nope."

Holy fuck. He should have known. Eren can smell bullshit.

Levi sighs and leans back in to his chair.

"Listen." He says and he runs a hand through his slightly misshapen hair. "Yes. I admit - I already knew about the letter."

He sees Eren's jaw tick.

"I'm sorry about that. I heard from Mikasa - "

Eren gasps, "She promised not to tell!"

"It was all me, Eren." Levi quickly interjects, "I called her after I heard you talking to her on the phone - it was all very mysterious, and it sounded like you were in some sort of trouble. I only wanted to help - honest." Levi says and spares a glance up at Eren.

The brat is biting his lip a little, and it looks like his anger is starting to seep away.

"I asked her what was going on and she pretty much told me that it's none of my business. She only caved and told me what I wanted to know about because I told her that I'm only worried and that," Levi pauses. Feelings aren't his strong suit. He sucks at feelings, at being sensitive, at being sympathetic and like a normal human being.

"And that…?" Eren says suddenly, expectantly.

"And that I only wanted to protect you." Levi trails off awkwardly and glances down. He waits a few seconds, trying to dismiss his nerves before he clears his throat. "Ehem, anyway." He says and looks up. He pauses when he sees a light flush of pink to Eren's cheeks. Is the brat getting bashful? Is he embarrassed?

Eren catches Levi's prying eyes and clears his throat as well. "Go on." He says, trying to steel his voice once again.

"Right." Levi says. "So she told me about it and I promised her that I would keep my eye on you to make sure that you didn't do anything stupid."

Eren's eyes narrow a little.

"So it's my fault. Put the blame on me. Mikasa was only trying to look out for you, especially since she can't always be with you."

Levi looks up at Eren to see that the brat is looking down, biting his lip.

"I'm sorry." Levi says. "I'll butt out. It's not my business. Sorry - again."

Levi goes back to eating like nothing has even happened despite his inner thoughts warring with one another: 'Why didn't you tell him in the first place?' 'Of course something like this was going to happen.' 'Goddammit, you're such a stupid little shit' and so on.

"No, listen, it's okay." Eren says and Levi looks up. "I get it."

"It was still a pretty dick move of me to keep it from you that I knew about the letter."

"Kinda was." Eren says and he smiles afterward, making it clear that his statement was only meant as a joke.

One side of Levi's lips quirk a little. "Brat." He says.

Eren laughs a little bit. "Well, we're pretty much housemates till who knows when, so I guess we can lay down the rule of 'No secrets.' Well, I mean, we _can_ have secrets and stuff, but we should be honest with one another - is what I'm trying to say." Eren pauses and bites his lip. "Is that okay with you? If we promise to be honest with one another?"

"It's okay with me."

Eren smiles one last time before he goes on back to eating his pasta, seemingly much more content than before.

Levi smiles himself and goes back to eating as well.

But he doesn't tell Eren about his meeting with Nikolaus Jaeger - he will later, but  now isn't the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been quite a while. School has started up once again and I am drowning in it.
> 
>  
> 
> [btw, my tumblr](http://harehi.tumblr.com)


	11. Drama Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi cooking with Eren turns in to a tickle-tastic battle.  
> There's also dorky old man time between Irvin and Levi. :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SHE LIVES.  
> THAT'S RIGHT. SENPAI-KUN IS HERE. :D
> 
> It's been a while, and I apologise profoundly and repeatedly about my absence! It's nearly holidays as well, so I'll attempt to write as much as I can for you pretties! <3

Levi stands with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I hate you." He says, eyes narrowing towards Eren who is moving around in the kitchen.

The said brat glances over at Levi once before rolling his eyes like Levi's being a drama queen before turning back to rummage through a huge draw of pots and pans that Levi does not remember having.

Still, he scoffs at Eren. How dare he.

The brat has gotten so comfortable around his house and around him that no matter how much intimidation that Levi wields, it doesn't affect the brat. He has somehow become _immune_ to Levi's murderous purpose. And because of that, he has ended up like this.

With Eren bossing him around and - god forbid, he's standing in a fucking apron. A fucking _apron_. That is baby pink with frill little shits along the edges. He looks ridiculous - he knows he does. How he knows he does? Eren had attempted to cover up a snort of laughter when he had first put it on - key word there being 'attempted'.

He shouldn't have spoiled the brat as much as he has.

Eren surfaces from the drawer with a large pot in his hand and a small frying pan in the other, looking self-content and unbothered by Levi's mood.

"Levi, you haven't grabbed out the ingredients yet." Eren says and raises an amused brow towards the older man.

Levi doesn't reply and only turns his head away with a 'tch' sound from his lips.

He hears Eren snort at his attitude. "Could you _please_ grab them out?"

Levi glances at the brat.

Eren holds his gaze, albeit his own is a little challenging.

Levi narrows his eyes.

"Oh come on." Eren exclaims a little. "Can't you do this just _once_?"

Levi, leaning against the kitchen counter, does so for a few seconds longer before sighing and unfolding his arms. He stands up straight and off from the counter. "Fine." He says grudgingly before stomping through the kitchen.

He hears Eren laugh and he swears that it doesn't cause a small fluster of butterflies in his stomach.

* * *

 

"Levi!" Eren exclaims before rushing up to the other man in the kitchen.

Levi pulls his lips away from the bottle and looks to Eren. He looks at the bottle and then back to Eren before shrugging, "What?"

Eren takes the bottle away from him. "This is cooking wine." He exclaims. "For _cooking_."

Levi sighs and rolls his eyes. "Wine is wine, brat. Now hand it over."

"No."

Levi raises a brow. "Whose house is this?" He turns his head to the side, waiting to hear Eren's response.

He looks up to the brat and smirks when he finds Eren with a frown on his face.

"Whose wine is it?" Levi waits a few more seconds. When Eren doesn't respond, his smirk grows. "Exactly, brat." He says. "Now, hand over the - "

Before he can finish his sentence, Eren moves quickly to the other side of the kitchen. He reaches as high as he can, wine bottle in his hand, and before Levi can realise what the hell the kid is trying to do, it's too late.

Eren lowers down to rest on the whole of his feet rather than on the point of his toes with a victorious grin. He has just placed the wine on _top_ of the highest cupboard. Levi can only _just_ reach things that are _in_ the cupboard. He can't fucking reach above it. Eren knows that. He fucking knows that.

"You fuck." Levi curses at him, narrowing his eyes.

Eren only laughs, though there's a cheeky tone to it. He goes to walk past Levi, and goddammit, the brat is looking at him like he's just won the fucking world that Levi can't just let him go on about his life without getting some revenge.

Once Eren has walked past and thinks that he's gotten away with himself, Levi reaches out quickly and jabs at his sides. He had meant for it to hurt and had prepared himself to relish in the unmanly sound that would leave the brat's lips - like a squeal or a high-pitched yelp, but instead what he hears is a loud, sudden and unexpected sounding laugh.

Eren turns suddenly to give him a frown, "What the hell was that for?"

"You know what it was for." Levi snaps back. He pauses and knows that Eren sees the malicious glint in his eyes as he raises a brow. "On a scale of 'It's nothing' to 'I will fucking die' - just _how_ ticklish are you?"

Eren takes a step back and Levi takes one forward.

"U-Um, maybe l-like a t-two?"

When Levi's lips slowly lift in to a smirk, Eren gulps, screams and then runs away.

Levi darts after him after ripping off the goddamned apron, swearing under his breath as the brat runs around the table until he's on one side of it and Levi is on the other.

"What are you doing?!" Eren exclaims, obviously flustered and scared, eyes wide.

Levi chuckles, smirking, "I _will_ tickle you."

"Levi! The stove is on! The food!" Eren exclaims helplessly.

"You _will_ be tickled." Levi says with a smirk. Eren makes a sort of 'Eep' sound. "Now get your ass over here."

"No no no no no!" Eren exclaims. He feigns a dodge to the side but Levi doesn't budge, only raising a brow at him in mild amusement.

Eren bites his lip as he contemplates his options for a few seconds longer before he suddenly screams, "Goddammit!" and rounds the table, bolting down the hall. Levi follows straight after him and smirks when Eren has to fiddle with his doorknob to open it, giving Levi more time to catch up.

Eren glances up at Levi and screams once again before finally shoving his room door open. Just as he's about to slam the said door shut, Levi pushes it open roughly, jabbing half of his body inside of the brat's room so that it can't close. Nonetheless, Eren still attempts to close it shut and Levi ends up growling at him. "Goddamit, you brat, it won't fucking close if I'm standing here." Levi is trying to work his way in to the room but Eren is simultaneously attempting to push him out.

"Just admit defeat and get out!" Eren exclaims.

Levi ignores Eren and shoves his way through.

Eren makes another sound of exclamation and bolts towards his bed. When Levi sees Eren attempt to dive under the quilts of it, he dashes forward, and pushes the brat down before climbing atop him, sitting on the brat's legs so that he can't attempt to get Levi off of him by kicking him. In this way, Levi has effectively vanquished any chances that the kid might have had of escape by hiding under the quilts and otherwise. Eren grunts as he face palms his mattress when Levi had shoved him.

"Oww!" He exclaims and gasps when he realises his trapped situation. "Get off!" He says to Levi, wriggling around and trying to escape.

Levi smirks. "You lied about how ticklish you are. You said you were a two." Levi says slowly, and runs a finger down Eren's back. The brat shivers a little at the touch, despite the layer of clothes between them.

"S-So what?" Eren asks rather loudly.

" _So_ , I think that you're really an eight, maybe a nine - "

" _And?!_ "

" _And_ ," Levi says, ever patient, "I just wanted to see for myself if I guessed right."

Eren's eyes widen, "Okay! Okay! You're right, I'm probably like an eight or a nine! I'm not a two! I'm not a two! You don't need to tickle me anymore! I surrender! I surrender! _I surrender_!"

Levi chuckles slowly, a tone of evil embedded in the sound - Eren whimpers when he hears it.

"Oh Eren, so naive." Levi says slowly, still lightly touching at the brat's skin in a taunting kind of way. Then, suddenly, his hands jab at the brat's sides.

The effect is immediate.

* * *

 

Eren is panting on his stomach, tears threatening at the edges of his eyes.

Levi laughs - he actually _laughs_ as he _finally_ stands off from sitting on Eren's legs.

"I h-hate you." Eren says, breathing hard, his throat hurting from the simultaneous screams and laughs that had left his lips throughout his torture.

Levi grins - poor Eren doesn't catch the beautiful sight - before he prods at the brat to move over. The kid does, by rolling on to his stomach before Levi lays down next to him, breathing out a gust of air, tired from all the tickling and fending off Eren's arms and legs when the brat had actually managed to escape his hold for a little while before trying to slug Levi off. Levi sighs and takes a glance over at Eren and pauses, feeling a sudden beating of butterfly wings against his stomach. The brat's cheeks are flushed, his hair a mess, his breath still a little ragged, tears slowly drying at the edge of his eyes and on his cheeks.

His gaze unconsciously traces the lining of Eren's lips and that creeping urge to kiss Eren, to do more, that he has felt so many times before starts approaching him slowly once again. Levi sits up suddenly so as to avoid the temptation.

"Food." He says, voice a little strained.

He hears the insufferable brat gasp and then then suddenly, he's on his feet. "Holy crap!" He exclaims, "Levi, come _on_ , the _food_!!"

The brat is out of the room in seconds and has most probably made a new world record sprint that will never be realised.

Levi takes a few seconds to collect himself. He runs a hand through his hair and flops back down on to the bed. This… _thing_ that he has for Eren hasn't simmered away and hasn't even faded in the least like Levi thought it might. Instead, it's gotten harder to ignore, especially with said brat living with him, cooking him food, laughing at stupid tv shows, fixing up his tie, coming out of the shower with his hair still damp - god _dammit_. 

As if sensing his disarray, Levi's phone begins vibrating against his pocket. He's finally managed to switch it to the silent setting so as to not suffer through another round of techno pop ringtones. He pulls the device from his pocket and rolls his eyes as he looks at caller ID, "Oh, joy." He drawls sarcastically.

He presses the answer button and holds the phone against his ear. "Hey there jerk off. What's up?"

"Just checking in."

"You're a total creep. Hanji and I already know about that weird sensory crap that goes on with you. You always call at the most convenient times."

"So this time is a convenient time for you?"

"But there you go, twisting my nice words, you bastard."

"So what _is_ up?"

Levi sighs. "Eren Jaeger is probably the worst thing you've ever given me."

"I thought you'd like him."

Levi sighs again. "I do." he states, and he frowns, "But I like him _too_ much."

There's a pause.

Levi waits for Irvin response as patiently as he can.

"But, he's, like, 20." Irvin suddenly says. Levi raises a brow. "And you're, like, _not_."

He narrows his eyes at nothing in particular. "Fuck you. I hate you so much."

Irvin is chuckling on the other side of the phone. "Did you stop to think that maybe I had known that you were going to like him 'too much' from the beginning, before I sent him?"

"But you're stupid."

"I am not stupid. I am _wise_ , and you have to admit - the best fucking wingman ever."

"Ew. You're not my wingman."

"Too late to say that now, bitch."

"I can score perfectly well on my own, thank you."

"May I remind you that the only scores you got in high school were graded papers."

"Wow, okay."

"Now go earn one for the team."

Levi can't help but to let a smirk slip on to his face. "Goddammit," mutters. "You're the lamest dick."

"I would say 'No, _you_ are' but you've got a vagi - "

"Finish that sentence, Irvin, I dare y - "

"Vagina."

"I'm hanging up."

"Wait." Irvin says suddenly.

Usually Levi would ignore him and hang up anyway, but there's a certain tone in the other man's voice that tells him that Irvin is about to say something that isn't of his usual jerk-off, dick-faced demeanour.

"What?"

"It's okay to like Eren, you know."

Levi pauses. "Okay."

"No, really." Irvin says. "Age is but a number."

"Yeah, uh-huh."

"Levi." Irvin says. "It's _fine_. Perfectly fine. As long as you like one another and you're both okay with that then what right do I have to judge you?"

"All the rights, maybe?" Levi can literally sense Irvin rolling his eyes.

"Levi, _really_."

"I'm just saying that - okay, you know what? What if Eren does like me? What if we _do_ get in to a relationship? Okay? Yes? Yes - _no_. Okay, _no._ He'll practically be dating his own dad, you jerk, that's how old I am. And he's in his _twenties,_ goddammit. When we were 20, you and I, we did stupid shit all the time and played around like love was a game of cards. We didn't date old and wrinkly 37 year olds. Hell, we didn't blink an eye at old and wrinkly 37 year olds. There is no possible chance that Eren will actually want to date me, Irvin you dick. I'm short and unpleasant. I know that myself - I don't need to be told what makes me dislikable. It's even worse that I purposefully enhance those certain attributes of annoyance to piss people off even more. I am short, unpleasant and old. _Short, unpleasant and old_."

There's a pause, a frown embedded into Levi's forehead as he realises that his fingers have curled up in to his palms, nails digging in to the flesh.

Then suddenly - "Drama queen." _Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Irvin has hung up on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, twas a little bit of a more fun chapter.  
> I feel like after meeting Nik, AFP needed a little lightening. :)


	12. In which Irvin fucks up on Levi's behalf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irvin and Hanji go to Levi and Eren's for lunch, and Irvin may have fucked up. So much for being a great wingman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, um, hello.  
> Uhh, I'm back, after like, 4 months? *sweats bucket loads*

Levi has never felt so much disappointment directed towards him at any one time – not like this, anyway. Eren is sitting at the dining table, head down in the fold of his arms with Levi standing at the other side of the table, staring down at the plates of food that are there. Where Eren would usually offer up worthy plates of heavenly food to the food gods, sits bowls of… Of shit. Because that’s what it is: shit. And to make the pressure of disappointment even worse, the brat hasn’t said anything after having laid his eyes on said shit.

But then finally, after what seems like a lifetime, Eren speaks. “Levi?”

“… Yes?”

“You are banned from my kitchen. Touch my food again and I will castrate you.”

Levi takes a pause of moment. “I’m okay with that.”

“You are shit.”

“I _am_ shit?”

“The embodiment of it.”

“Actually, this food is.” Levi doesn’t know if adding more fuel to the fire is a good idea by attempting his usual back-sass and then finds out that it isn’t, with the way that Eren throws him a sharp glare that makes him feel that much guiltier, before laying his head back down on his arms.

Levi glances down at the food again. “I’m sure it’s not that bad.” He says slowly, knowing himself that he’s awkward when it comes to making people feel better when they’re down.

All he receives from Eren is a pathetic kind of sound, a cross between a groan of pain and a sob like whine.

“You know that the food isn’t your fault, right?” Levi asks and oh fuck he sounds awkward. “I’m the one that fucked it up, Eren. The reason why I had all of those frozen meals in the freezer is because of that right there on the table: I fuck up at cooking.” Oh God, is this even how you cheer people up?

He hears Eren snort a little and Levi keeps on, taking it as a sign of hope.

“We both know the way you cook, brat,” Levi says more softly before a pause for effect, “this is only you finding out how _I_ cook.”

Eren finally looks up and there’s a small smile on his lips.

“You have no reason to be upset with yourself, kid.” Levi says, feeling wholly awkward about this whole cheering up situation. It’s really not his thing.

“Thanks Levi,” Eren stays quiet a while longer and Levi is about to start a second attempt at trying to cheer him up again because he’s still not sure if the brat is completely okay, when Eren speaks again, “but what am I going to tell Irvin and Hanji now?”

A pause. “What?”

“They’re coming over for lunch.”

Another pause. “ _What_?”

“Hanji found out that you were helping me cook and then she told Irvin and then – “

“How the hell did she even find out?” Levi exclaims. God, that woman, she always managed to find a way to crawl her way in to other people’s business -

“I told her.”

Levi gives the kid a disbelieving look. “You _told_ her and then you _willingly_ invited her over? _Are you crazy_?”

“I’m not crazy, and she’s actually quite nice despite her, um, tendencies.” Eren says, remembering the time when he had first met her.

“You’ve only met her, like, once.”

“But we exchanged phone numbers.”

Levi covers his eyes with the palm of his hand. “Oh my god. Eren, I did not hire you to make friends with, with _Hanji_ , of all people. Fuck.”

_Ding dong._

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

_Ding dong. Ding dong Dingdongdingdongdingdong._

Eren quickly stands to get the door while Levi lets out a groan of pure suffering.

* * *

 

“You managed to make _this_ ,” Irvin says looking at the plates on the table with a certain disappointment to his expression. “Out of a hotpot? Even I wouldn’t stuff up this bad, Levi.”

“Can we not judge me right now? Please get out of my house.”

“It’s okay, Levi! A lot of people can’t cook!” Hanji exclaims.

“You’re more of a failure than I am, do not try to console me. Please get out of my house.”

“What are we going to eat now?”

“Please.”

“Not to worry, I ordered some fast food as a last resort kind of thing.” Eren pipes up with a smile.

“Be gone right now.”

“Don’t be rude.” Eren says to him. “They’re guests.”

Both Erwin and Hanji grin at that.

“That’s right Levi. Guests. Treat us with the utmost respect.” Irvin says smugly.

“Suck my dick.”

“Gosh Levi, is this how you treat _guests_?” Hanji exclaims.

Levi looks between the two of them, wishing that he had chosen his best friends more wisely in high school before he turns to Eren. “I dislike you.”

Eren narrows his eyes as a warning and Levi wonders why he even let the brat take over his life like he had.

He sighs, and then, with a completely unpleasant expression pasted on his face with permanent glue, he says to them, “Welcome to my humble abode, important guests. Take a seat, eat some food then _get the fuck out of my house_.”

Eren hits at him, “Aren’t they your friends?”

“We don’t use the F word around these two, Eren. You know that.”

* * *

 

After Levi and Irvin had thrown back and forth tenth grade insults to one another with Hanji cackling in the background, occasionally joining in while Eren had dilly-dally’ed around the kitchen, getting everyone hot drinks, the four of them are seated at the dining table, take-out laid before them: bowls of noodles, fried rice, teriyaki chicken and pork chow mein.

“There’s nothing better than some good ol’ take-out.” Hanji sighs dreamily.

“Seconded.” Irvin joins in as Levi nods, their bickering calmed down.

Eren shakes his head at the three of them, because, after all, this ain’t real food. Levi catches the action and smirks to himself. Irvin and Hanji coming over are the perfect excuse to buy greasy, oil-drenched foods. It almost persuades him into thinking that maybe he’ll invite them over again, but that thought is suddenly squashed and then beat until lifeless.

“So how are you enjoying working with Levi?” Irvin asks a little later, breaking the moment of silent appreciation of the take-out, the only sounds having been their munching.

Eren raises his brows, surprised at the sudden question, as he swallows the fried rice he had stuffed his mouth with (looks like he loves take-out just as much as they do). “Oh, um,” he looks a little shy, “It’s good, I’m getting accustomed to his… work habits.”

“He’s totally unaware of his surroundings when he writes. I can’t count just how many times he’s ignored me!” Hanji says this enthusiastically, with a grin on her face, puzzling Eren, making him wonder if he had heard her right.

“I ignore you even when I’m not writing, four eyes.” Levi says, nibbling off a piece of rice that had stuck to his hand. Eren’s eyes do not follow the swipe of his tongue after his lips press against the skin.

“He was worse before.” Irvin says, with amusement accented to his voice. “He’d come to school with huge dark circles under his eyes and we’d both,” he spares a glance at Hanji, “worry that he was doing drugs or something horribly illegal.”

Levi rolls his eyes. “Don’t act like such saints. It was the two of you that ended up smoking pot, and you even got me into it.”

“It was a phase.” Erwin states, “And anyway, Hanji was the one that started it. She’d sneak into the chem labs during after school hours and try to make some – “

Eren has pulled himself away from the conversation, memories of his dad attempting to surface. He closes his eyes a bit and breathes in slowly, and then breathes out, trying to wipe away the memories.

Breathing in, breathing out. Breathing in, breathing out…

He remembers his dad coming home, lab-coat still on, looking tired and run-down like he had lost a few years of his life. He remembers soft fingers ruffling his hair, a soft smile, a murmuring to make sure that Eren had done his homework.

“I’m going to get us some wine.” Levi suddenly says and the screen that is playing Eren’s memories in his head shatters when he feels a hand quickly on his, just as quickly as it leaves, “Come help me with the glasses.” Levi says, eyes on Eren, serious.

“O-Okay.” Eren gives a polite ‘excuse me’ to both Irvin and Hanji before standing and following the shorter man.

Once they’re in the kitchen, Irvin’s and Hanji’s voices murmuring in the background, Levi turns to Eren.

“You okay?” He asks, voice low.

“Um, yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Eren feels his hand twitch at his side.

Levi raises a brow. “You know why, and I haven’t lived with you for this long to fall for your lies, you shit.”

Eren opens his mouth to speak, but then pauses and closes his lips before directing his gaze downward toward his feet before trying again. “It’s a… sensitive topic that I’d rather… _not_ talk about, but the three of you are having fun reminiscing, so I’m okay.” Eren gives Levi a tight smile, lips twitching.

Levi sees this and sighs, “I fucking hate hugs,” he says, before pulling Eren in by the back of his head (it does not totally piss him off with how he has to stand higher on his feet and how Eren has to bend down a little). Eren makes a squeak at the sudden action but does nothing to pull away when he realises that he is being dealt a hug.

He feels Levi’s fingers ruffle his hair, and though it’s nothing like how his dad used to do it to him, Eren still gets that warm feeling in his stomach, but with butterflies this time from, caused by Levi’s touch.

“You didn’t even cry last time when you told me the story,” Levi murmurs at the side of Eren’s head, lips brushing against his brown hair, “why are you so sensitive now?”

Eren shrugs and does his best to force the oncoming tears back as he moves his arms to wrap a little awkwardly around Levi’s waist.

They stay like that for a bit, Eren trying to force back his tears and trying to calm his heart while Levi tries to not lose his cool and give in to his desires – to push Eren against a wall and kiss him hard, to run his fingers over his skin, to tangle the both of his hands in his hair and mess it up even more.

“Well this is cute!”

The two males flinch at the sound of Hanji’s loud, chirping voice.

Levi sighs and does nothing to let go of Eren despite her presence, “Fuck off.”

Irvin rounds the corner too, before pausing and then raising a brow, “Why don’t you ever hug me?”

“Because you’re a fucking gorilla.”

Eren is starting to feel nervous now, having Hanji and Irvin – his _boss_ – watching, while he still has his arms around Levi.

“So when’s the wedding?” Hanji asks, “Should I be bringing an engagement gift the next time I come over?”

“There’s no wedding, Hanji, and you’re never coming over ever again.” Levi sighs and starts to pull away from Eren.

“So that’s why you went to see Nikolaus Jaeger,” Irvin says with a chuckle, “to get his blessing to marry his grandson.”

Fuck, is the only word running through Levi’s head when he meets Eren’s eyes after having finally pulled away, so similar to his grandfather’s.

“Nikolaus… _Jaeger_? _Me,_ his _grandson?_ ” Eren suddenly asks, and his eyes start narrowing in on Levi. “Who is Nikolaus Jaeger, _Levi_? When did you go see him?” Holy fuck. Eren crosses his arms and purses his lips and Levi has never felt so deeply wrenched in to his own shit.

He shoots Irvin an icy glare and the other man realises that he has said something that he shouldn’t have.

“Thanks for the food and having us over,” Irvin says immediately and pulls Hanji away by the back of her collar, “we should get going.”

Then he leaves and Levi is left to deal with the fiery depths of Eren’s temper.

* * *

 

“I cannot believe you.” Eren says once Irvin and Hanji have successfully escaped. “I know I haven’t been living here long and I have no right to ask of you to open up to me with everything, but I thought we said we’d be honest with one another.” Eren’s face looks a little pained as he meets Levi’s eyes, the two of them still in the kitchen where Eren holds Levi with his narrowed look.

“Eren, I didn’t – “ Levi stops, knowing that Eren, despite being a clumsy shit, can immediately catch wind of bullshit. “It’s just that they were suddenly looking for you and what with the letter, I didn’t want to take any chances. I was planning to tell you – “

Eren raises a brow at him, his super power detecting bullshit.

“Okay, I may not have ended up telling you about it, but that only depended on how things turned out.”

“And? How did it turn out, meeting my grandfather?” Eren’s brow is still raised expectantly.

“Eren, I didn’t do this to spite you. I did this _for_ you, or at least, that’s what I had concluded myself to be doing when I was doing it; I knew you wouldn’t be too ecstatic about me going behind your back, but I didn’t want you to find out about Jaeger Corp. because your grandfather wanted you to; they’ve been looking for you, apparently. Irvin told me when they visited him for a meeting. Apparently, they were subtly trying to uncover information on you. I didn’t know what to think and whether to tell you, and so meeting with them was one of the limited things I could do.”

“Telling me would have been so much easier than meeting with him.” Eren says, frowning, having pronounced ‘him’ with a bitter edge to his voice.

“… Have you met him before?”

“No.”

“Well then, one of us knows whom you inherited your pretty eyes and stubborn attitude from.”

“I’m not stubborn.”

“That is exactly what stubborn people say.” Levi retorts.

There’s a silence that settles in between them, and Levi can see Eren’s thoughts going at a mile a minute, emotions tripping up over one another, to top off a pile of emotional mess. Eren is a very expressive person, emotions like running water on his face, and that only makes Levi feel more guilty, seeing the expressions that Eren makes.

“So you don’t know why he’s looking for me?” Eren asks suddenly, voice a little shaky after the silence.

“No,” Levi replies slowly, voice almost soft, “and I doubt I’d have been able to get anything out of him even if I had tried. Are you okay?” Levi sees Eren’s finger twitching a little.

“Kind of… not?” Eren says and this was exactly the reason why Levi had wanted to keep his meeting with Nikolaus Jaeger hidden from Eren. Eren has a pained expression on his face, and Levi is guessing that that’s because of the remembrance of old memories – of his parents, the orphanage, of him hoping that maybe someone will come pick him up today. He thought that he had had nobody since no one had tried finding him, but all of a sudden, here were his grandparents, years later. “Why didn’t they look for me sooner?” Eren asks quietly, more to himself than Levi, eyes downcast.

Levi doesn’t know how to console anyone, and as soon as he’s said, “He turned out to be a douchebag, Eren,” he feels like such an asshole. He takes a moment of pause to reassess the situation and ask himself what the fuck he should do right now. Afterwards, he settles on reaching up to pat Eren’s head. “Don’t beat yourself up over him.”

At the feel of Levi’s fingers running softly through his hair, Eren wants to cry.

“I’m sorry for not telling you.” Levi murmurs quietly. His voice, though only just above a whisper, is heard loud and clear by Eren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, I've forced myself to be organised for you guys. I will be daily working on upcoming chapters as well as editing former ones (no need to read over them again, they won't be drastic changes - just changes that will make them more tolerable ^^).
> 
> I'LL BE BACK I PROMISE


	13. My Apologies to All of You.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This isn't another chapter of the fanfiction, and I apologise for the late-notice horrible news that I bring to you. :(

Hey guys, I apologise for leaving you all in the deep end for so long. Though I haven’t abandoned writing, it’s regretful that as of now, I’m officially announcing the discontinuance of this fanfiction. I know it’s been so long since I last updated the fic and to do it now so late notice might anger those of you who were still counting on the next chapter and for that, I’d like to apologise.

I apologise to anyone that had been looking forward to upcoming chapters and were in wait for this fanfiction. I hate doing this, and I hate not being able to finish something for you guys, but I’ve lost the drive that I used to have for this plot, and to those of you who write as well, or draw, or dance or do anything as a hobby - I hope you’ll understand the effort that I’ve put into this fic and how I’ve tried to push myself to keep this going, to hopefully rekindle the passion that I once had for this work. Alas, the drive doesn’t stick for very long and only leaves half-assed chapters coming out once every few months and I’d hate to end this fic like that; I’d much rather leave it here and not do anything with it.

I’m really very sorry and I hope that you aren’t too disappointed. I’ll still write - mainly small fics and oneshots; but I’m also working on developing a plot for a novel which I dream of being published one day. I hope that you’ll continue to support me. Once again, I apologise completely for this late notice. Thank you for understanding and thank you for all the love that you’ve showered this fic with, it’s much appreciated.

xxx


End file.
